Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Republic of the Congo instead of Iran, you would:
Health
be 50.3% less likely to be obese
In Iran, 24.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 12.2% of people as of 2024.
live 11.8 years less
In Iran, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
see 80.4% less spent on your healthcare
Iran spends $1,064 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Republic of the Congo spends $209 as of 2023.
have 90.4% fewer doctors per person
Iran has 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Republic of the Congo has 1.7 as of 2022.
have 44.6% less access to essential health services
Iran scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Republic of the Congo scores 41 as of 2021.
be 64.9% more likely to die by suicide
Iran has a suicide rate of 4.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, it is 6.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Iran, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 19.9% as of 2025.
make 35.9% less money
Iran has a GDP per capita of $3,924 as of 2025, while in Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $2,515 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.4 times more children
In Iran, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, there are 30.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 15.1 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 Republic of the Congo, 241.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.6 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 Republic of the Congo, on the other hand, 27.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 48.7% 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 Republic of the Congo, that number is 51% of people on average (69% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 44.6% less likely to have internet access
In Iran, approximately 85.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, about 47.2% do as of 2024.
be 24.9% 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 Republic of the Congo, that number is 73% of people on average (87% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2021.
Expenditures
spend 45.3% less on healthcare
Iran spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.3% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 18.4% more on education
Iran spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Republic of the Congo spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Geography
see 93.1% less coastline
Iran has a total of 2,440 km of coastline. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 169 km.
Safety
be 59.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Iran, road accidents kill 20.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, they kill 8.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 100.0% less strain on fresh water
Iran withdraws 81% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 89.5% less home broadband
Iran has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Republic of the Congo has 1.3 as of 2023.
use 91.1% less electricity
Iran uses 3,815 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Republic of the Congo uses 338 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 85.2% less CO2
Iran emits 9.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Republic of the Congo emits 1.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 29.4% more likely to die from air pollution
In Iran, air pollution causes 51.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Republic of the Congo, it causes 66.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Iran vs. Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo: At a glance
How big is Republic of the Congo compared to Iran? See an in-depth size comparison.