Compare
Iran vs United Kingdom
How Iran and United Kingdom compare on 38 measures, from 1789 to 2025. The main differences:
- Life expectancy · In 2023, United Kingdom was higher: 81.3 years against 77.7 years
- GDP per person · In 2025, United Kingdom was higher: $48,420 against $5,617
- Population · In 2023, Iran was higher: 90.6 million people against 68.7 million people
- Military spending · In 2025, United Kingdom was higher: 2.35% of GDP against 2.09% of GDP
- CO₂ per person · In 2024, Iran was higher: 9.05 tonnes against 4.22 tonnes
Every measure
Health
- Life expectancyIran: 77.7 years in 2023United Kingdom: 81.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIran: 1.1 per 100 live births in 2024United Kingdom: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIran: 9.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023United Kingdom: 3.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterIran: 94.2% in 2022United Kingdom: 99.8% in 2022
- DepressionIran: 5.12% in 2017United Kingdom: 4.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateIran: 5.4 per 100,000 people in 2017United Kingdom: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIran: 90.6 million people in 2023United Kingdom: 68.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthIran: 1.12% a year in 2023United Kingdom: 0.7% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIran: 1.7 births per woman in 2023United Kingdom: 1.56 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIran: 77.4% in 2025United Kingdom: 83.3% in 2025
- Median ageIran: 32.9 years in 2023United Kingdom: 39.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIran: 7.9% in 2023United Kingdom: 19.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateIran: 2.9 per 1,000 people in 2023United Kingdom: 6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIran: 2.09% of GDP in 2025United Kingdom: 2.35% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIran: $7.45B in 2025United Kingdom: $88B in 2025
- Military spending per personIran: $80 in 2025United Kingdom: $1,283 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIran: 11.2% of government spending in 2025United Kingdom: 5.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIran: 650,000 people in 2020United Kingdom: 153,000 people in 2020
- National powerIran: 1.64% of world capability in 2022United Kingdom: 1.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIran: 2.35% of the labour force in 2020United Kingdom: 0.45% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIran: 42 million TIV in 2024United Kingdom: 609 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIran: 80 million TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 702 million TIV in 2025
Climate
Technology and environment
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Sources: UN, Gapminder and UN IGME, WHO/UNICEF, IHME, World Bank, IMF, Our World in Data, V-Dem, UCDP, SIPRI, IISS, Correlates of War, ERA5, CMIP6, EDGAR, ITU and FAO. Each measure’s page names its own and what it counts.
- Values are drawn on today’s borders. Years without a published value are left empty, never filled in.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time