Iran
Quick notes before you compare the numbers.
Identity
Formal name: Islamic Republic of Iran.
CIA 2026
Curated stat
Iran's qanats move water for kilometres underground by gravity, keeping dry settlements alive.
Matchup file
Iran vs Iraq
113 shared metrics.
Turn the comparison into a round
Think you can spot the next winner?
Iran leads by 23 metrics. Use the same instinct in a quick real-data brawl.
Country briefing
What matters for both sides
Short real-world notes so the comparison reads like more than a stat strip.
Iraq
Quick notes before you compare the numbers.
Identity
Formal name: Republic of Iraq.
CIA 2026
Curated stat
Southern Iraq's Ahwar is one of the world's largest inland delta systems in a hot, arid environment.
Analysis
Iran leads in 68 of 113 shared metrics, while Iraq leads in 45.
Iran's Coastline Length is 41.1x that of Iraq (2.4K km vs 58 km).
Iran's Capital Elevation is 33.7x that of Iraq (1.2K m vs 34 m).
Iran's R&D Spending (% GDP) is 16.9x that of Iraq (0.73% of GDP vs 0.04% of GDP).
Iran's Domestic Patents is 15.1x that of Iraq (10.2K vs 635).
Iran's Researchers is 12.6x that of Iraq (2.2K per 1M vs 164.28 per 1M).
Key Comparisons
Coastline LengthIran leads
Iran
2.4K km
Iraq
58 km
Capital ElevationIran leads
Iran
1.2K m
Iraq
34 m
R&D Spending (% GDP)Iran leads
Iran
0.73% of GDP
Iraq
0.04% of GDP
Domestic PatentsIran leads
Iran
10.2K
Iraq
635
ResearchersIran leads
Iran
2.2K per 1M
Iraq
164.28 per 1M
Forest AreaIran leads
Iran
107.9K km²
Iraq
8.3K km²
All Metrics
Coastline Length
IranIran
2.4K km
Iraq
58 km
4107% higher
Capital Elevation
IranIran
1.2K m
Iraq
34 m
3368% higher
R&D Spending (% GDP)
IranIran
0.73% of GDP
Iraq
0.04% of GDP
1686% higher
Domestic Patents
IranIran
10.2K
Iraq
635
1508% higher
Researchers
IranIran
2.2K per 1M
Iraq
164.28 per 1M
1263% higher
Forest Area
IranIran
107.9K km²
Iraq
8.3K km²
1208% higher
Merchant Fleet Size
IranIran
965
Iraq
74
1204% higher
ATMs per 100,000 Adults
IranIran
88.65 per 100k
Iraq
14.1 per 100k
529% higher
Foreign Patents
IranIran
581
Iraq
98
493% higher
Protected Land (%)
IranIran
8.6%
Iraq
1.5%
473% higher
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
IranIran
29 sites
Iraq
6.0 sites
383% higher
Air Passengers
IranIran
18.07M
Iraq
3.76M
381% higher
Scientific Publications
IranIran
60.9K
Iraq
13.4K
355% higher
Seafood Consumption per Person
IranIran
12.14 kg/person/yr
Iraq
2.9 kg/person/yr
316% higher
Land Area
IranIran
1.62M km²
Iraq
434.1K km²
274% higher
Railway Length
IranIran
8.5K km
Iraq
2.3K km
273% higher
Forest Coverage (%)
IranIran
6.6%
Iraq
1.9%
250% higher
Total CO2 Emissions
IranIran
828.99 Mt CO2e
Iraq
238.67 Mt CO2e
247% higher
Digital Payments Used
IranIran
85.98% of adults
Iraq
24.98% of adults
244% higher
Electric Generating Capacity
IranIran
86.06M kW
Iraq
31.34M kW
175% higher
Electricity Use (Per Capita)
IranIran
3.7K kWh/person
Iraq
1.4K kWh/person
167% higher
Airports
IranIran
183
Iraq
69
165% higher
Renewable Energy (%)
IranIran
1.4%
Iraq
0.58%
145% higher
Elderly Population (%)
IranIran
8.2%
Iraq
3.4%
141% higher
Vehicles per 1,000 People
IranIran
357.26 per 1k people
Iraq
153.77 per 1k people
132% higher
Energy Use (Per Capita)
IranIran
3.3K kg oil eq/person
Iraq
1.4K kg oil eq/person
131% higher
Electricity Generation
IranIran
387.78 TWh
Iraq
169.46 TWh
129% higher
Irrigated Land
IranIran
79.7K km²
Iraq
35.3K km²
126% higher
Water Withdrawal
IranIran
92.95 B m³
Iraq
42.42 B m³
119% higher
Alcohol Consumption
IranIran
0.51 L/adult/yr
Iraq
0.24 L/adult/yr
113% higher
Milk Consumption per Person
IranIran
46.69 kg/person/yr
Iraq
22.18 kg/person/yr
111% higher
Population
IranIran
89.18M
Iraq
42.92M
108% higher
Women in Parliament (%)
IraqIran
4.8%
Iraq
28.88%
83% lower
Doctors (per 1,000)
IranIran
1.8 per 1k
Iraq
1.0 per 1k
77% higher
Mobile Subscriptions (%)
IranIran
174 per 100 people
Iraq
100 per 100 people
74% higher
CO2 Per Capita
IranIran
8.7 t/person/yr
Iraq
5.1 t/person/yr
71% higher
Freedom of Expression Index
IraqIran
0.17
Iraq
0.57
71% lower
GDP (Nominal)
IranIran
$475,252,089,215.42
Iraq
$279,641,257,615.39
70% higher
Median Age
IranIran
32.9 years
Iraq
20.3 years
62% higher
Safe Drinking Water (%)
IranIran
94.41%
Iraq
59.83%
58% higher
Electoral Democracy Index
IraqIran
0.16
Iraq
0.37
57% lower
Highest Elevation
IranIran
5.6K m
Iraq
3.6K m
56% higher
Teen Birth Rate
IraqIran
26.2 per 1k
Iraq
58.01 per 1k
55% lower
Land Border Length
IranIran
5.9K km
Iraq
3.8K km
55% higher
Spirits Consumption
IraqIran
0.02 L/person/yr
Iraq
0.04 L/person/yr
53% lower
Liberal Democracy Index
IraqIran
0.10
Iraq
0.22
53% lower
Birth Rate
IraqIran
11.24 per 1k
Iraq
23.26 per 1k
52% lower
Time Zones Count
IranIran
3.0 time zones
Iraq
2.0 time zones
50% higher
Fertility Rate
IraqIran
1.5 children/woman
Iraq
3.0 children/woman
50% lower
Official Languages Count
IraqIran
1.0
Iraq
2.0
50% lower
Infant Mortality
IraqIran
10.7 per 1k births
Iraq
20.8 per 1k births
49% lower
Child Mortality
IraqIran
11.8 per 1k births
Iraq
22.6 per 1k births
48% lower
Average Weekly Work Hours
IranIran
46.78 hrs/week
Iraq
31.71 hrs/week
48% higher
Nobel Laureates Born per Million People
IranIran
0.03 per 1M people
Iraq
0.02 per 1M people
48% higher
Beer Consumption
IraqIran
0.06 L/person/yr
Iraq
0.11 L/person/yr
46% lower
Population Density
IraqIran
55.85 /km²
Iraq
103.83 /km²
46% lower
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
IranIran
1.9 per 1k
Iraq
1.3 per 1k
46% higher
Government Debt (% GDP)
IranIran
39.5% of GDP
Iraq
27.4% of GDP
44% higher
Hypertension Prevalence
IraqIran
27% of adults
Iraq
47.4% of adults
43% lower
Women's Political Empowerment
IraqIran
0.32
Iraq
0.56
42% lower
Armed Forces Personnel
IranIran
650.0K
Iraq
459.0K
42% higher
Tobacco Use Prevalence
IraqIran
11.9% of adults
Iraq
20.1% of adults
41% lower
Unemployment Rate
IraqIran
9.2%
Iraq
15.52%
41% lower
Water Stress (%)
IraqIran
72.33%
Iraq
120.52%
40% lower
EV Chargers per 100,000 People
IraqIran
0.04 per 100k people
Iraq
0.06 per 100k people
40% lower
Youth Population (%)
IraqIran
22.44%
Iraq
36.58%
39% lower
Exports (% GDP)
IraqIran
23.55% of GDP
Iraq
37.51% of GDP
37% lower
Suicide Rate
IranIran
4.1 per 100k
Iraq
3.0 per 100k
37% higher
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
IranIran
$19,873.89
Iraq
$14,464.32
37% higher
Dependency Ratio
IraqIran
44.26% of working-age pop.
Iraq
66.65% of working-age pop.
34% lower
Food Waste per Person
IraqIran
134.86 kg/person/yr
Iraq
204.97 kg/person/yr
34% lower
Agricultural Land (%)
IranIran
29.01%
Iraq
21.83%
33% higher
Obesity Rate
IraqIran
25.26%
Iraq
37.36%
32% lower
Youth Unemployment Rate
IraqIran
21.9% of youth labor force
Iraq
32.01% of youth labor force
32% lower
Smoking Rate
IraqIran
13.3%
Iraq
19.2%
31% lower
Minimum Paid Vacation Days
IranIran
26 days/yr
Iraq
20 days/yr
30% higher
Broadband Access (%)
IraqIran
12 per 100 people
Iraq
17 per 100 people
29% lower
Health Spending (% GDP)
IranIran
5.3% of GDP
Iraq
4.3% of GDP
25% higher
Women in Senior Management
IranIran
21.36% of managers
Iraq
17.53% of managers
22% higher
Credit Card Ownership
IranIran
12.36% of adults
Iraq
10.12% of adults
22% higher
Solar Electricity Share
IraqIran
0.23%
Iraq
0.29%
21% lower
Inequality (Gini)
IranIran
35.9
Iraq
29.8
20% higher
Corruption Perceptions Index
IraqIran
23 pts
Iraq
28 pts
18% lower
Renewable Energy (%)
IraqIran
0.90%
Iraq
1.1%
18% lower
Border Neighbors
IranIran
7.0
Iraq
6.0
17% higher
Human Development Index
IranIran
0.80
Iraq
0.69
15% higher
GNI Per Capita
IraqIran
$5,130
Iraq
$6,030
15% lower
Death Rate
IranIran
4.4 per 1k
Iraq
3.9 per 1k
15% higher
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
IraqIran
32.29 µg/m³
Iraq
38.18 µg/m³
15% lower
Military Spending
IraqIran
2.0% of GDP
Iraq
2.4% of GDP
15% lower
Political Corruption Index
IraqIran
0.77
Iraq
0.89
14% lower
Imports (% GDP)
IraqIran
28.51% of GDP
Iraq
33.2% of GDP
14% lower
Insufficient Physical Activity
IraqIran
44.73% of adults
Iraq
52.02% of adults
14% lower
Mobile Money Accounts
IranIran
13.1% of adults
Iraq
11.87% of adults
10% higher
Urban Population (%)
IranIran
77.02%
Iraq
69.89%
10% higher
Sanitation Access (%)
IraqIran
90.46%
Iraq
98.5%
8% lower
Life Expectancy
IranIran
77.7 years
Iraq
72.3 years
7% higher
Health Spending Per Capita
IraqIran
$237.83
Iraq
$254.62
7% lower
Adult Literacy Rate
IranIran
88.92%
Iraq
84.06%
6% higher
Road Traffic Death Rate
IraqIran
20.6 per 100k
Iraq
21.5 per 100k
4% lower
Electricity Carbon Intensity
IraqIran
659.53 gCO2/kWh
Iraq
683.1 gCO2/kWh
3% lower
Internet Users (%)
IraqIran
80%
Iraq
82%
2% lower
Life Evaluation Score
IraqIran
5.2 pts
Iraq
5.2 pts
1% lower
Can Raise Emergency Money
IranIran
96.71% of adults
Iraq
95.98% of adults
1% higher
Coal Electricity Share
IranIran
0.18%
Iraq
0%
ranked higher
Wind Electricity Share
IranIran
0.32%
Iraq
0%
ranked higher
Electricity Access (%)
IraqIran
100%
Iraq
100%
equal
Inflation Rate
IranIran
32.5%
Iraq
-12.3%
ranked higher
GDP Growth Rate
IranIran
3.7%
Iraq
-1.55%
ranked higher
Lowest Elevation
IraqIran
-28 m
Iraq
0 m
ranked lower
Current Account Balance (% of GDP)
IranIran
0.60% of GDP
Iraq
-1.7% of GDP
ranked higher
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
IranIran
0.30% of GDP
Iraq
-2.74% of GDP
ranked higher
McDonald's Outlets per Million People
IraqIran
0 per 1M people
Iraq
0 per 1M people
ranked lower
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