Iran vs Pakistan: Urban area over the long-term
Iran
8,281 km² per grid cell
in 2025
Pakistan
8,527 km² per grid cell
in 2025
Iran rank
17th
Pakistan rank
16th
Urban area over the long-term over time
- Iran
- Pakistan
How they compare
Pakistan currently reports 8,527 km² per grid cell against 8,281 km² per grid cell in Iran, a difference of 246 km² per grid cell.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 108 shared years of data; in 1000 it was Iran ahead.
Iran ranks 17th and Pakistan ranks 16th of 202 countries.
Across the 40 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 22 and Pakistan in 18.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | Pakistan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 30.81 km² per grid cell | 0.0124 km² per grid cell | 30.8 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1100s | 34.16 km² per grid cell | 0.0386 km² per grid cell | 34.12 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1200s | 37.68 km² per grid cell | 0.1201 km² per grid cell | 37.56 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1300s | 27.58 km² per grid cell | 0.3603 km² per grid cell | 27.22 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1400s | 30.85 km² per grid cell | 1.22 km² per grid cell | 29.62 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1500s | 34.28 km² per grid cell | 3.91 km² per grid cell | 30.37 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1600s | 44.57 km² per grid cell | 15.23 km² per grid cell | 29.34 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1700s | 46.3 km² per grid cell | 56.25 km² per grid cell | 9.96 km² per grid cell | Pakistan |
| 1710s | 54.37 km² per grid cell | 64.03 km² per grid cell | 9.66 km² per grid cell | Pakistan |
| 1720s | 60.8 km² per grid cell | 71.56 km² per grid cell | 10.75 km² per grid cell | Pakistan |
| 1730s | 68 km² per grid cell | 79.97 km² per grid cell | 11.97 km² per grid cell | Pakistan |
| 1740s | 76.05 km² per grid cell | 89.37 km² per grid cell | 13.32 km² per grid cell | Pakistan |
| 1750s | 85.06 km² per grid cell | 99.88 km² per grid cell | 14.83 km² per grid cell | Pakistan |
| 1760s | 95.13 km² per grid cell | 111.63 km² per grid cell | 16.5 km² per grid cell | Pakistan |
| 1770s | 106.39 km² per grid cell | 124.75 km² per grid cell | 18.37 km² per grid cell | Pakistan |
| 1780s | 118.98 km² per grid cell | 139.42 km² per grid cell | 20.44 km² per grid cell | Pakistan |
| 1790s | 133.07 km² per grid cell | 155.82 km² per grid cell | 22.75 km² per grid cell | Pakistan |
| 1800s | 148.83 km² per grid cell | 174.14 km² per grid cell | 25.31 km² per grid cell | Pakistan |
| 1810s | 166.45 km² per grid cell | 194.62 km² per grid cell | 28.17 km² per grid cell | Pakistan |
| 1820s | 186.15 km² per grid cell | 217.5 km² per grid cell | 31.35 km² per grid cell | Pakistan |
| 1830s | 215.41 km² per grid cell | 243.08 km² per grid cell | 27.67 km² per grid cell | Pakistan |
| 1840s | 248.56 km² per grid cell | 271.66 km² per grid cell | 23.1 km² per grid cell | Pakistan |
| 1850s | 286.06 km² per grid cell | 303.59 km² per grid cell | 17.53 km² per grid cell | Pakistan |
| 1860s | 328.45 km² per grid cell | 339.17 km² per grid cell | 10.72 km² per grid cell | Pakistan |
| 1870s | 376.32 km² per grid cell | 378.42 km² per grid cell | 2.09 km² per grid cell | Pakistan |
| 1880s | 475.32 km² per grid cell | 419.96 km² per grid cell | 55.37 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1890s | 589.77 km² per grid cell | 458.27 km² per grid cell | 131.5 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1900s | 705.92 km² per grid cell | 479.76 km² per grid cell | 226.15 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1910s | 838.84 km² per grid cell | 479.76 km² per grid cell | 359.07 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1920s | 990.54 km² per grid cell | 479.76 km² per grid cell | 510.78 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1930s | 1,161 km² per grid cell | 479.76 km² per grid cell | 681.61 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1940s | 1,333 km² per grid cell | 479.76 km² per grid cell | 853.62 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1950s | 1,535 km² per grid cell | 571.9 km² per grid cell | 962.91 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1960s | 1,678 km² per grid cell | 819.26 km² per grid cell | 859.02 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1970s | 1,866 km² per grid cell | 1,227 km² per grid cell | 639.46 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1980s | 2,602 km² per grid cell | 1,960 km² per grid cell | 641.8 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1990s | 3,855 km² per grid cell | 2,990 km² per grid cell | 864.67 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 2000s | 5,180 km² per grid cell | 4,224 km² per grid cell | 955.25 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 2010s | 6,621 km² per grid cell | 5,925 km² per grid cell | 696.1 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 2020s | 7,890 km² per grid cell | 7,880 km² per grid cell | 9.44 km² per grid cell | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher urban area over the long-term, Iran or Pakistan?
- Pakistan, at 8,527 km² per grid cell against 8,281 km² per grid cell in Iran as of 2025.
- What is the difference in urban area over the long-term between Iran and Pakistan?
- 246 km² per grid cell, with Pakistan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Pakistan?
- 108 years are reported by both, from 1000 to 2025.
- How do Iran and Pakistan rank globally for urban area over the long-term?
- Iran ranks 17th and Pakistan ranks 16th of 202 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Urban area over the long-term. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total built-up area of a country over time.