Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Saudi Arabia instead of Iran, you would:
Health
live 1.1 years longer
In Iran, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Saudi Arabia, that number is 79 years (77 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 3.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Iran spends $1,064 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Saudi Arabia spends $3,475 as of 2023.
have 88.1% more doctors per person
Iran has 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Saudi Arabia has 34.1 as of 2023.
be 76.7% less likely to die by suicide
Iran has a suicide rate of 4.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Saudi Arabia, it is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 63.3% more likely to be obese
In Iran, 24.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Saudi Arabia, that number is 40.1% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 63.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Iran, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Saudi Arabia, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.
make 8.8 times more money
Iran has a GDP per capita of $3,924 as of 2025, while in Saudi Arabia, the GDP per capita is $34,537 as of 2025.
Life
be 56.2% 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 Saudi Arabia, 7.0 women do as of 2023.
be 10.1% more likely to be literate
In Iran, the literacy rate is 88.9% as of 2023. In Saudi Arabia, it is 97.9% as of 2024.
be 54.4% 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 Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, 4.7 children do as of 2024.
have 31.3% more children
In Iran, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Saudi Arabia, there are 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 17.2% more likely to have internet access
In Iran, approximately 85.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Saudi Arabia, about 100.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 58.9% more on education
Iran spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Saudi Arabia spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 10.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Iran, road accidents kill 20.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Saudi Arabia, they kill 18.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.7 times more home broadband
Iran has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Saudi Arabia has 44.1 as of 2024.
use 3.1 times more electricity
Iran uses 3,815 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Saudi Arabia uses 11,911 kWh as of 2023.
live with 12.0 times more strain on fresh water
Iran withdraws 81% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Saudi Arabia withdraws 974% as of 2022.
Environment
be 78.4% more likely to die from air pollution
In Iran, air pollution causes 51.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Saudi Arabia, it causes 91.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.0 times more CO2
Iran emits 9.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Saudi Arabia emits 18.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Iran vs. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: At a glance
How big is Saudi Arabia compared to Iran? See an in-depth size comparison.