Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Turkmenistan fits inside Iran 3.6 times
Iran: 1,745,150 km² (2024) · Turkmenistan: 491,209 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Iran: 2,440 km (2026 edition) · Turkmenistan: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Iran’s highest peak towers 2,486 m above Turkmenistan’s
Iran: 5,625 m (2026 edition) · Turkmenistan: 3,139 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 84% of Turkmenistan, versus 29% of Iran
Iran: 29% (2024) · Turkmenistan: 84.3% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Iran has 12 times as many people as Turkmenistan
Iran: 92.4 million (2025) · Turkmenistan: 7.62 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Iran is 3.5 times as densely populated as Turkmenistan
Iran: 57 per km² (2025) · Turkmenistan: 16 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Iran are 1.3 cm taller than in Turkmenistan
Iran: 175.6 cm (2019) · Turkmenistan: 174.4 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Turkmenistan are 1.7 cm taller than in Iran
Iran: 161.2 cm (2019) · Turkmenistan: 162.8 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Iran is 6.6 years older than in Turkmenistan
Iran: 32.9 years (2023) · Turkmenistan: 26.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Turkmenistan have 1.0 more children on average than in Iran
Iran: 1.68 children per woman (2024) · Turkmenistan: 2.66 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
8.6% of people in Iran are 65 or older, versus 4.8% in Turkmenistan
Iran: 8.6% (2025) · Turkmenistan: 4.8% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Iran hosts 7,058 times as many refugees per resident as Turkmenistan
Iran: 8.3 per 1,000 (2025) · Turkmenistan: 0.0012 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Iran has produced 0.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Turkmenistan none
Iran: 0.3 (2026) · Turkmenistan: 0 (2026)
How many official languages?
Turkmenistan has 2 official languages, Iran 1
Iran: 1 (2026) · Turkmenistan: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Iran’s economy is 7.3 times the size of Turkmenistan’s
Iran: $363 billion (2025) · Turkmenistan: $49.8 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Turkmenistan produces 15% more per person than Iran
Iran: Int$19,699 (2025) · Turkmenistan: Int$22,602 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Iran: 35.9 (2023) · Turkmenistan: no data
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Iran: 2.5% (2023) · Turkmenistan: no data
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.3% in Iran, versus 4.3% in Turkmenistan
Iran: 8.3% (2025) · Turkmenistan: 4.3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Iran: 2.1% (2025) · Turkmenistan: no data
How expensive is it?
Turkmenistan’s price level (US = 100) is 1.5× Iran’s
Iran: 20% (2025) · Turkmenistan: 29% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Turkmenistan spends 2.2 times as much on health per person as Iran
Iran: $267 (2023) · Turkmenistan: $581 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Iran live 7.7 years longer than in Turkmenistan
Iran: 77.9 years (2024) · Turkmenistan: 70.2 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Turkmenistan is 3 times as likely to die before turning one as in Iran
Iran: 10.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Turkmenistan: 30.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Turkmenistan has 7% more doctors per person than Iran
Iran: 1.8 per 1,000 (2023) · Turkmenistan: 1.9 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Turkmenistan has 95% more hospital beds per person than Iran
Iran: 1.9 per 1,000 (2019) · Turkmenistan: 3.6 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Turkmenistan is 85% higher than in Iran
Iran: 6 per 100k (2023) · Turkmenistan: 11.1 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Iran are obese, versus 21% in Turkmenistan
Iran: 25.7% (2024) · Turkmenistan: 21.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
12% of adults in Iran smoke, versus 5.4% in Turkmenistan
Iran: 11.9% (2024) · Turkmenistan: 5.4% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Turkmenistan rate their lives 0.32 points higher than in Iran
Iran: 5.15 (2025) · Turkmenistan: 5.47 (2021)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Turkmenistan drink 74 times as much alcohol as in Iran
Iran: 0.021 litres (2023) · Turkmenistan: 1.5 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Turkmenistan has 71% more meat per person than Iran
Iran: 29.9 kg (2023) · Turkmenistan: 51.2 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Iran has 61 kcal more food per person per day than Turkmenistan
Iran: 2,875 kcal (2023) · Turkmenistan: 2,814 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Iran put in 67 more hours a year than in Turkmenistan
Iran: 2,246 hours (2023) · Turkmenistan: 2,179 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Turkmenistan went to school 0.36 years longer than in Iran
Iran: 10.8 years (2023) · Turkmenistan: 11.2 years (2023)
How many World Heritage sites?
Iran has 25 more World Heritage sites than Turkmenistan (30 against 5)
Iran: 30 (2026) · Turkmenistan: 5 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Iran has won 88 Olympic medals, Turkmenistan 1
Iran: 88 (2026 edition) · Turkmenistan: 1 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
85% of people in Iran are online, versus 18% in Turkmenistan
Iran: 85% (2024) · Turkmenistan: 18% (2016)
How fast is home internet?
Iran: no data · Turkmenistan: 84 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Iran and Turkmenistan are practically level
Iran: 100% (2024) · Turkmenistan: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
77% of people in Iran live in cities, versus 47% in Turkmenistan
Iran: 77% (2025) · Turkmenistan: 47% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Iran has 174 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Turkmenistan 88
Iran: 174 (2024) · Turkmenistan: 88 (2021)
How much railway is there?
Iran’s railway network is 23% longer than Turkmenistan’s
Iran: 9,455 km (2021) · Turkmenistan: 7,680 km (2018)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Iran fly 38% more passengers per resident than those from Turkmenistan
Iran: 0.2 (2023) · Turkmenistan: 0.14 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 6.6% of Iran, but only 5.0% of Turkmenistan
Iran: 6.6% (2024) · Turkmenistan: 5% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Turkmenistan emits 25% more CO₂ than someone in Iran
Iran: 8.7 t (2024) · Turkmenistan: 10.8 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
3.8% of Iran’s electricity is renewable, versus 0.0% in Turkmenistan
Iran: 3.8% (2025) · Turkmenistan: 0% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iran carries 30% more fine dust than in Turkmenistan
Iran: 37.7 µg/m³ (2024) · Turkmenistan: 29.1 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.3 times as likely to be murdered in Iran as in Turkmenistan
Iran: 2.4 per 100k (2014) · Turkmenistan: 1 per 100k (2015)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iran are 3.1 times as deadly as in Turkmenistan
Iran: 28.9 per 100k (2023) · Turkmenistan: 9.4 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Iran is on average 1.8 °C warmer than Turkmenistan
Iran: 19.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Turkmenistan: 17.5°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Iran gets 80% more rain than Turkmenistan
Iran: 272 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Turkmenistan: 151 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Iran bigger than Turkmenistan?
Iran is larger. Turkmenistan fits inside Iran 3.6 times.
Which has more people, Iran or Turkmenistan?
Iran has 12 times as many people as Turkmenistan (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Iran or Turkmenistan?
People in Iran live 7.7 years longer than in Turkmenistan. Life expectancy at birth is 77.9 years in Iran and 70.2 in Turkmenistan.
Are people taller in Iran or Turkmenistan?
Men in Iran are 1.3 cm taller than in Turkmenistan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
