Land Area
China
9,596,961 km²
Largest
Iran
1,648,195 km²
17.2% of largest
China is 5.82× larger than Iran
Population
China
LARGEST
1.41B
PEOPLE
Iran
6.0% OF LARGEST
85.03M
PEOPLE
China has 16.61× the population of Iran
GDP
China
LARGEST
$17.96T
Iran
11.0% OF LARGEST
$1.97T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
China
LARGEST
2.04M
TROOPS
Iran
28.3% OF LARGEST
575K
TROOPS
China has 3.54× the active personnel of Iran
Air Force
China
LARGEST
3.29K
AIRCRAFT
Iran
16.8% OF LARGEST
551
AIRCRAFT
China has 5.96× the aircraft of Iran
Naval Assets
China
Iran
Wealth
Gold Reserves
China
LARGEST
2,279.6
Metric Tonnes
Iran
6.6% OF LARGEST
150.6
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
China
LARGEST
$3.27T
Reserves · excl. gold
Iran
4.0% OF LARGEST
$130B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
China
MOST
473
billionaires
Iran
0% OF MOST
0
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
Iran
LARGEST
209
Billion barrels
China
12.4% OF LARGEST
26
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
China
NET IMPORTER
Production
4.1M b/d
Consumption
15.4M b/d
−11.3M b/d net
Iran
NET EXPORTER
Production
3.8M b/d
Consumption
1.9M b/d
+1.9M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
China
$3,753.1B
Exports
$3,753.1B
Imports
$3,219.3B
Trade Balance
+$533.7B
Trade Surplus
Iran
$111.9B
Exports
$111.9B
Imports
$135.5B
Trade Balance
$-23.6B
Trade Deficit
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Iran
consumption
China
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
Iran
consumption
China
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
China
consumption
Iran
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
China
consumption
Iran
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
China
consumption
Iran
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
China
Iran
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
China
330
Gold
262
Silver
227
Bronze
819
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 727
❄ Winter: 92
Iran
27
Gold
29
Silver
32
Bronze
88
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 88
❄ Winter: 0
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
China
Iran
Age Demographics
Median Age
China
39.0
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Iran
32.4
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
China is 6.6 years older (median) than Iran
Youth Population
Iran has the highest youth population at 46% (under 30)
Elderly Population
China has the highest elderly population at 19.0% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
China
|
Iran
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
85
|
44
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
65.7M
|
9.0M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
8
|
2
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
9
|
0
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
China
|
Iran
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $5 | $3 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $25 | $12 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $600 | $350 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $380 | $200 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $50 | $50 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $20 | $18 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $30 | $10 |
Historical Data
Basic Information
| Metric | China | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1412600000 | 85028759 |
| Area (sq km) | 9596961 | 1648195 |
| Capital | Beijing | Tehran |
| Official Language | Mandarin Chinese | Persian (Farsi) |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | Iranian Rial (IRR) |
| Government Type | Unitary one-party socialist republic | Unitary Islamic republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | China | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 2,035,000 | 575,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 510,000 | 350,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 2,545,000 | 925,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $292,000,000,000 | $19,600,000,000 |
| Tanks | 5,651 | 1,650 |
| Armored Vehicles | 35,000 | 2,500 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 4,120 | 292 |
| Towed Artillery | 6,246 | 2,030 |
| Rocket Projectors | 2,430 | 1,900 |
Economy
| Metric | China | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $17,963,200,000,000 | $1,973,000,000,000 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $12,720 | $23,046 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 4.0% | 11.8% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 38.5 | 40.8 |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | Iranian Rial (IRR) |
| Direct Currency Comparison (1 unit of row currency equals X units of column currency) | ||
| China Currency | 1.00 (Same) | 0.0000 Weaker |
| Iran Currency | 187019.6165 Stronger | 1.00 (Same) |
| USD Base Exchange Rates (All calculations use USD as the base currency) | ||
| Currency | CNY | IRR |
| 1 USD equals | 6.8086 CNY Updated: 2026-06-27 | 1273341.7612 IRR Updated: 2026-06-27 |
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
China is 5.8 times larger in area than Iran.
China has 16.6 times more people than Iran.
With over a billion people, that's more than 1/8 of humanity!
Iran has the highest GDP per capita at $23,046 among the selected countries.
China has the largest economy with a GDP of
$17.96 trillion.
China has the largest active military personnel with 2,035,000 troops.
China has the largest air force with 3,285 aircraft.
China has the largest navy with 777 vessels.
China Fact: China produces more than 1.4 billion tons of rice annually, feeding nearly 20% of the world's population.
China vs Iran: Key Comparisons
Economy: China's GDP of $18.0T is 9.1x larger than Iran's $2.0T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: China's population of 1.4B is 16.6x larger than Iran's 85M.
Area: China covers 9,596,961 km², making it 5.8x larger than Iran.
Military: China fields 2Million active troops vs Iran's 580Thousand.
Trade: China runs a trade surplus of $534B while Iran has a trade deficit of $24B.
Life Expectancy: China leads with a life expectancy of 77 years vs Iran's 77.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated June 2026.
Sources & methodology