Land Area
Iran
1,648,195 km²
Largest
Iraq
438,317 km²
26.6% of largest
Iran is 3.76× larger than Iraq
Population
Iran
LARGEST
85.03M
PEOPLE
Iraq
47.6% OF LARGEST
40.46M
PEOPLE
Iran has 2.10× the population of Iraq
GDP
Iran
LARGEST
$1.97T
Iraq
10.5% OF LARGEST
$207.89B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
Iran
LARGEST
575K
TROOPS
Iraq
33.6% OF LARGEST
193K
TROOPS
Iran has 2.98× the active personnel of Iraq
Air Force
Iran
LARGEST
551
AIRCRAFT
Iraq
27.0% OF LARGEST
149
AIRCRAFT
Iran has 3.70× the aircraft of Iraq
Naval Assets
Iran
Iraq
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Iraq
LARGEST
162.6
Metric Tonnes
Iran
92.6% OF LARGEST
150.6
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
Iran
LARGEST
$130B
Reserves · excl. gold
Iraq
66.9% OF LARGEST
$87B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
Iran
0% OF MOST
0
billionaires
Iraq
—
Oil
Proven Reserves
Iran
LARGEST
209
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
Iran
NET EXPORTER
Production
3.8M b/d
Consumption
1.9M b/d
+1.9M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
Iran
$111.9B
Exports
$111.9B
Imports
$135.5B
Trade Balance
$-23.6B
Trade Deficit
Iraq
$104.9B
Exports
$104.9B
Imports
$92.8B
Trade Balance
+$12.1B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Iraq
supply
Iran
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
Iran
consumption
Iraq
supply
Beer
litres / person / yr
Iraq
supply
Iran
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
Iraq
supply
Iran
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Iraq
consumption
Iran
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
Iraq
Iran
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
Iran
27
Gold
29
Silver
32
Bronze
88
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 88
❄ Winter: 0
Iraq
0
Gold
0
Silver
1
Bronze
1
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 1
❄ Winter: 0
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Iran
Iraq
Age Demographics
Median Age
Iran
32.4
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Iraq
21.2
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Iran is 11.2 years older (median) than Iraq
Youth Population
Iraq has the highest youth population at 65% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Iran has the highest elderly population at 12% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Iran
|
Iraq
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
44
|
— |
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
9.0M
|
— |
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
2
|
— |
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
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.
|
Iran
|
Iraq
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $3 | $4 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $12 | $15 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $350 | $300 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $200 | $200 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $50 | $60 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $18 | $25 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $10 | $15 |
Historical Data
Basic Information
| Metric | Iran | Iraq |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 85028759 | 40462701 |
| Area (sq km) | 1648195 | 438317 |
| Capital | Tehran | Baghdad |
| Official Language | Persian (Farsi) | Arabic, Kurdish |
| Currency | Iranian Rial (IRR) | Iraqi Dinar (IQD) |
| Government Type | Unitary Islamic republic | Federal parliamentary republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | Iran | Iraq |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 575,000 | 193,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 350,000 | 0 |
| Total Military Personnel | 925,000 | 193,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $19,600,000,000 | $6,000,000,000 |
| Tanks | 1,650 | 336 |
| Armored Vehicles | 2,500 | 1,592 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 292 | 48 |
| Towed Artillery | 2,030 | 138 |
| Rocket Projectors | 1,900 | 294 |
Economy
| Metric | Iran | Iraq |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $1,973,000,000,000 | $207,890,000,000 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $23,046 | $5,135 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 11.8% | 12.8% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 40.8 | 29.5 |
| Currency | Iranian Rial (IRR) | Iraqi Dinar (IQD) |
| Direct Currency Comparison (1 unit of row currency equals X units of column currency) | ||
| Iran Currency | 1.00 (Same) | 972.1942 Stronger |
| Iraq Currency | 0.0010 Weaker | 1.00 (Same) |
| USD Base Exchange Rates (All calculations use USD as the base currency) | ||
| Currency | IRR | IQD |
| 1 USD equals | 1273341.7612 IRR Updated: 2026-06-27 | 1309.7607 IQD Updated: 2026-06-27 |
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Iran is 3.8 times larger in area than Iraq.
Iran has 2.1 times more people than Iraq.
Iran has the highest GDP per capita at $23,046 among the selected countries.
Iran has the largest economy with a GDP of
$1.97 trillion.
Iran has the largest active military personnel with 575,000 troops.
Iran has the largest air force with 551 aircraft.
Iran has the largest navy with 398 vessels.
Iran vs Iraq: Key Comparisons
Economy: Iran's GDP of $2.0T is 9.5x larger than Iraq's $208B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Iran's population of 85M is 2.1x larger than Iraq's 40M.
Area: Iran covers 1,648,195 km², making it 3.8x larger than Iraq.
Military: Iran fields 580Thousand active troops vs Iraq's 190Thousand.
Trade: Iran has a trade deficit of $24B while Iraq runs a trade surplus of $12B.
Life Expectancy: Iran leads with a life expectancy of 77 years vs Iraq's 71.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated June 2026.
Sources & methodology