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

Health

live 6.0 years longer

In Iran, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Spain, that number is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 37.7% less likely to be obese

In Iran, 24.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Spain, that number is 15.3% of people as of 2024.

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see 4.6 times more spent on your healthcare

Iran spends $1,064 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Spain spends $4,935 as of 2023.

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have 2.4 times more doctors per person

Iran has 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Spain has 42.9 as of 2022.

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have 14.9% more access to essential health services

Iran scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Spain scores 85 as of 2021.

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be 2.1 times more likely to die by suicide

Iran has a suicide rate of 4.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Spain, it is 8.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 9.8 times more money

Iran has a GDP per capita of $3,924 as of 2025, while in Spain, the GDP per capita is $38,627 as of 2025.

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be 25.1% more likely to be unemployed

In Iran, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Spain, that number is 10.4% as of 2025.

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Life

be 81.2% 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 Spain, 3.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 12.1% more likely to be literate

In Iran, the literacy rate is 88.9% as of 2023. In Spain, it is 99.7% as of 2021.

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be 74.8% 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 Spain, on the other hand, 2.6 children do as of 2024.

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have 48.3% fewer children

In Iran, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Spain, there are 6.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 12.2% more likely to have internet access

In Iran, approximately 85.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Spain, about 95.8% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 62.8% more on education

Iran spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Spain spends 4.6% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 52.9% more on healthcare

Iran spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Spain, that number is 9.2% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 2.0 times more coastline

Iran has a total of 2,440 km of coastline. In Spain, that number is 4,964 km.

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Safety

be 83.0% less likely to die in a road accident

In Iran, road accidents kill 20.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Spain, they kill 3.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 3.3 times more home broadband

Iran has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Spain has 39.2 as of 2024.

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live with 46.8% less strain on fresh water

Iran withdraws 81% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Spain withdraws 43% as of 2022.

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use 36.2% more electricity

Iran uses 3,815 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Spain uses 5,196 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

be 80.4% less likely to die from air pollution

In Iran, air pollution causes 51.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Spain, it causes 10.0 as of 2019.

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emit 50.2% less CO2

Iran emits 9.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Spain emits 4.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Spain: At a glance

Spain is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 498,980 sq km. Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World War I and II but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights. More recently the government has had to focus on measures to reverse a severe economic recession that began in mid-2008. Austerity measures implemented to reduce a large budget deficit and reassure foreign investors have led to one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe.
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How big is Spain compared to Iran? See an in-depth size comparison.

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