Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Iran, you would:
Health
live 1.0 years longer
In Iran, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 12.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Iran spends $1,064 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 2.0 times more doctors per person
Iran has 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
have 16.2% more access to essential health services
Iran scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United States scores 86 as of 2021.
be 66.8% more likely to be obese
In Iran, 24.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
be 3.8 times more likely to die by suicide
Iran has a suicide rate of 4.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 49.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Iran, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
be 19.3% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Iran, 18.7% live below the poverty line as of 2007. In United States, however, that number is 15.1% as of 2010.
make 22.9 times more money
Iran has a GDP per capita of $3,924 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
Life
be 46.6% 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 United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
have 15.7% fewer children
In Iran, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 11.0% more likely to have internet access
In Iran, approximately 85.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United States, about 94.7% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 92.2% more on education
Iran spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 2.8 times more on healthcare
Iran spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 8.2 times more coastline
Iran has a total of 2,440 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Safety
be 31.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Iran, road accidents kill 20.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.2 times more home broadband
Iran has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.
live with 65.4% less strain on fresh water
Iran withdraws 81% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
use 3.4 times more electricity
Iran uses 3,815 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United States uses 12,839 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 72.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Iran, air pollution causes 51.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 50.5% more CO2
Iran emits 9.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2007–2010), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Iran vs. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Iran? See an in-depth size comparison.