Iran vs Japan
Japan has 1.3× the population of Iran: 123,366,734 vs 92,417,681, a gap of 30.9 million. Iran is growing faster (+0.92% vs −0.49% a year), adding about 853,875 people a year against −607,141. Using continuous exponential growth from the stated base year, if these rates held, Iran would overtake Japan in about 20 years (from the 2025 population bases, around 2045) — a projection, not a forecast. Japan is the older society: 30.0% aged 65+ against 8.6% in Iran, while Iran has more children (22.0% under 15 vs 11.2%). Japan is 6.1× as densely populated (341.5 vs 55.8 people per km²). People in Japan live 6.2 years longer on average (84.0 vs 77.9). GDP per capita is 9.2× higher in Japan ($35,951 vs $3,924).
Country/territory population bases: World Bank 2025 (Iran) and 2025 (Japan); growth years 2025 / 2025. Annual source values, not live counts; years may differ. Growth is national, not local.
Iran vs Japan — side by side
 Iran |  Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 92,417,6812025 | 123,366,7342025 |
| Growth rate / yr | +0.92%2025 | −0.49%2025 |
| Births per 1,000 | 12.62024 | 5.72024 |
| Deaths per 1,000 | 4.82024 | 13.32024 |
| Children per woman | 1.682024 | 1.152024 |
| Life expectancy | 77.9 yrs2024 | 84.0 yrs2024 |
| Aged 0–14 | 22.0%2025 | 11.2%2025 |
| Aged 65+ | 8.6%2025 | 30.0%2025 |
| Density | 55.8 /km²2023 | 341.5 /km²2023 |
| Area | 1,745,150 km²2023 | 377,969 km²2023 |
| Urban population | 77.4%2025 | 92.3%2025 |
| Net migration / yr | +116,7862025 | +140,5792025 |
| GDP per capita | $3,9242025 | $35,9512025 |
| Country population rank (available records) | #17 | #12 |
| Base / world population (World Bank 2025) | 1.12% | 1.50% |
Highlighted cell = the higher value (not "better"). Small print under each value is its own data year. Source: World Bank; country/territory population bases may have different years. These are not live counts.
Population since 1960
World Bank population history (not the separate UN WPP timeline). Iran: 4.3× from 1960 to 2025; Japan: 1.3× from 1960 to 2025. Left: absolute population. Right: each series indexed to its own first available year = 100; baseline years may differ.
More comparisons
Regions: Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan · East Asia & Pacific · rankings
Iran: Iran vs India, Iran vs China, Iran vs United States, Iran vs Indonesia, Iran vs Pakistan, Iran vs Nigeria, Iran vs Brazil, Iran vs Bangladesh.
Japan: Japan vs India, Japan vs China, Japan vs United States, Japan vs Indonesia, Japan vs Pakistan, Japan vs Nigeria, Japan vs Brazil, Japan vs Bangladesh.
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This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.