Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Afghanistan instead of Iran, you would:
Health
be 16.2% less likely to be obese
In Iran, 24.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 20.6% of people as of 2024.
be 11.5% less likely to die by suicide
Iran has a suicide rate of 4.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Afghanistan, it is 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 11.6 years less
In Iran, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
see 69.0% less spent on your healthcare
Iran spends $1,064 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Afghanistan spends $330 as of 2023.
have 82.5% fewer doctors per person
Iran has 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Afghanistan has 3.2 as of 2023.
have 44.6% less access to essential health services
Iran scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Afghanistan scores 41 as of 2021.
Economy
be 60.8% more likely to be unemployed
In Iran, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Afghanistan, that number is 13.3% as of 2025.
make 89.4% less money
Iran has a GDP per capita of $3,924 as of 2025, while in Afghanistan, the GDP per capita is $417 as of 2024.
Life
have 2.8 times more children
In Iran, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Afghanistan, there are 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 32.6 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Iran, approximately 16.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Afghanistan, 521.0 women do as of 2023.
be 58.1% less likely to be literate
In Iran, the literacy rate is 88.9% as of 2023. In Afghanistan, it is 37.3% as of 2021.
be 4.7 times more likely to die during infancy
In Iran, approximately 10.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Afghanistan, on the other hand, 48.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 14.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In Iran, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 85% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 81.1% less likely to have internet access
In Iran, approximately 85.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Afghanistan, about 16.1% do as of 2024.
be 17.4% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Iran, approximately 98% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 81% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.5 times more on healthcare
Iran spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 15.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 17.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In Iran, road accidents kill 20.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Afghanistan, they kill 24.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 32.6% less strain on fresh water
Iran withdraws 81% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Afghanistan withdraws 55% as of 2022.
find 99.3% less home broadband
Iran has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Afghanistan has 0.1 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 96.9% less CO2
Iran emits 9.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.8 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Iran, air pollution causes 51.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Afghanistan, it causes 143.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Iran vs. Afghanistan
Afghanistan: At a glance
How big is Afghanistan compared to Iran? See an in-depth size comparison.