If you lived in Germany instead of Iran, you would:

Health

live 2.9 years longer

In Iran, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Germany, that number is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 16.0% less likely to be obese

In Iran, 24.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Germany, that number is 20.6% of people as of 2024.

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see 8.3 times more spent on your healthcare

Iran spends $1,064 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Germany spends $8,826 as of 2024.

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have 2.5 times more doctors per person

Iran has 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Germany has 45.3 as of 2022.

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have 18.9% more access to essential health services

Iran scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Germany scores 88 as of 2021.

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be 3.2 times more likely to die by suicide

Iran has a suicide rate of 4.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Germany, it is 12.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 55.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Iran, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Germany, that number is 3.7% as of 2025.

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make 15.4 times more money

Iran has a GDP per capita of $3,924 as of 2025, while in Germany, the GDP per capita is $60,496 as of 2025.

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Life

be 75.0% less 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 Germany, 4.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 69.9% less 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 Germany, on the other hand, 3.1 children do as of 2024.

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have 35.6% fewer children

In Iran, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Germany, there are 8.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 85.8% more on education

Iran spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Germany spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 2.0 times more on healthcare

Iran spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Germany, that number is 12.3% of GDP as of 2024.

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Safety

be 84.0% less likely to die in a road accident

In Iran, road accidents kill 20.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Germany, they kill 3.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 3.8 times more home broadband

Iran has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Germany has 45.6 as of 2024.

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live with 56.5% less strain on fresh water

Iran withdraws 81% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Germany withdraws 35% as of 2022.

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use 60.2% more electricity

Iran uses 3,815 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Germany uses 6,109 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

be 70.6% less likely to die from air pollution

In Iran, air pollution causes 51.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Germany, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.

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emit 23.3% less CO2

Iran emits 9.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Germany emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Germany: At a glance

Germany is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 348,672 sq km. As Europe's largest economy and second most populous nation (after Russia), Germany is a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic and security organizations, the EC, which became the EU, and NATO, while the communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War allowed for German unification in 1990. Since then, Germany has expended considerable funds to bring Eastern productivity and wages up to Western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries introduced a common European exchange currency, the euro.
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