Land Area
Saudi Arabia
2,149,690 km²
Largest
Iran
1,648,195 km²
76.7% of largest
Saudi Arabia is 1.30× larger than Iran
Population
Iran
LARGEST
85.03M
PEOPLE
Saudi Arabia
42.3% OF LARGEST
35.95M
PEOPLE
Iran has 2.37× the population of Saudi Arabia
GDP
Iran
LARGEST
$1.97T
Saudi Arabia
42.2% OF LARGEST
$833.5B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
Iran
LARGEST
575K
TROOPS
Saudi Arabia
39.5% OF LARGEST
227K
TROOPS
Iran has 2.53× the active personnel of Saudi Arabia
Air Force
Saudi Arabia
LARGEST
897
AIRCRAFT
Iran
61.4% OF LARGEST
551
AIRCRAFT
Saudi Arabia has 1.63× the aircraft of Iran
Naval Assets
Iran
Saudi Arabia
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Saudi Arabia
LARGEST
323.1
Metric Tonnes
Iran
46.6% OF LARGEST
150.6
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
Saudi Arabia
LARGEST
$437B
Reserves · excl. gold
Iran
29.7% OF LARGEST
$130B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
Saudi Arabia
MOST
15
billionaires
Iran
0% OF MOST
0
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
Saudi Arabia
LARGEST
267
Billion barrels
Iran
78.3% OF LARGEST
209
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
Iran
NET EXPORTER
Production
3.8M b/d
Consumption
1.9M b/d
+1.9M b/d net
Saudi Arabia
NET EXPORTER
Production
11.0M b/d
Consumption
3.8M b/d
+7.2M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
Iran
$111.9B
Exports
$111.9B
Imports
$135.5B
Trade Balance
$-23.6B
Trade Deficit
Saudi Arabia
$360.9B
Exports
$360.9B
Imports
$317.0B
Trade Balance
+$43.9B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Saudi Arabia
consumption
Iran
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
Iran
consumption
Saudi Arabia
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
Iran
consumption
Saudi Arabia
supply
Wine
litres / person / yr
Iran
consumption
Saudi Arabia
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Saudi Arabia
consumption
Iran
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
Saudi Arabia
Iran
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
Iran
27
Gold
29
Silver
32
Bronze
88
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 88
❄ Winter: 0
Saudi Arabia
0
Gold
2
Silver
2
Bronze
4
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 4
❄ Winter: 0
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Iran
Saudi Arabia
Age Demographics
Median Age
Iran
32.4
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Saudi Arabia
31.8
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Iran is 0.6 years older (median) than Saudi Arabia
Youth Population
Saudi Arabia has the highest youth population at 52.7% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Iran has the highest elderly population at 12% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Iran
|
Saudi Arabia
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
44
|
91
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
9.0M
|
27.4M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
2
|
0
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
0
|
0
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
Iran
|
Saudi Arabia
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $3 | $7 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $12 | $35 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $350 | $700 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $200 | $450 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $50 | $100 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $18 | $55 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $10 | $40 |
Historical Data
Basic Information
| Metric | Iran | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 85028759 | 35950000 |
| Area (sq km) | 1648195 | 2149690 |
| Capital | Tehran | Riyadh |
| Official Language | Persian (Farsi) | Arabic |
| Currency | Iranian Rial (IRR) | Saudi Riyal (SAR) |
| Government Type | Unitary Islamic republic | Unitary Islamic absolute monarchy |
Military Strength
| Metric | Iran | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 575,000 | 227,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 350,000 | 0 |
| Total Military Personnel | 925,000 | 227,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $19,600,000,000 | $67,600,000,000 |
| Tanks | 1,650 | 1,062 |
| Armored Vehicles | 2,500 | 5,472 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 292 | 224 |
| Towed Artillery | 2,030 | 260 |
| Rocket Projectors | 1,900 | 322 |
Economy
| Metric | Iran | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $1,973,000,000,000 | $833,500,000,000 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $23,046 | $23,140 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 11.8% | 5.9% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 40.8 | 45.9 |
| Currency | Iranian Rial (IRR) | Saudi Riyal (SAR) |
| Direct Currency Comparison (1 unit of row currency equals X units of column currency) | ||
| Iran Currency | 1.00 (Same) | 339557.8030 Stronger |
| Saudi Arabia Currency | 0.0000 Weaker | 1.00 (Same) |
| USD Base Exchange Rates (All calculations use USD as the base currency) | ||
| Currency | IRR | SAR |
| 1 USD equals | 1273341.7612 IRR Updated: 2026-06-27 | 3.7500 SAR Updated: 2026-06-27 |
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Saudi Arabia is 1.3 times larger in area than Iran.
Iran has 2.4 times more people than Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia has the highest GDP per capita at $23,140 among the selected countries.
Iran has the largest economy with a GDP of
$1.97 trillion.
Iran has the largest active military personnel with 575,000 troops.
Saudi Arabia has the largest air force with 897 aircraft.
Iran has the largest navy with 398 vessels.
Iran vs Saudi Arabia: Key Comparisons
Economy: Iran's GDP of $2.0T is 2.4x larger than Saudi Arabia's $834B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Iran's population of 85M is 2.4x larger than Saudi Arabia's 36M.
Area: Saudi Arabia covers 2,149,690 km², making it 1.3x larger than Iran.
Military: Iran fields 580Thousand active troops vs Saudi Arabia's 230Thousand.
Trade: Iran has a trade deficit of $24B while Saudi Arabia runs a trade surplus of $44B.
Life Expectancy: Iran leads with a life expectancy of 77 years vs Saudi Arabia's 76.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated June 2026.
Sources & methodology