Iran vs South Africa: Urban area over the long-term
Iran
8,281 km² per grid cell
in 2025
South Africa
8,172 km² per grid cell
in 2025
Iran rank
17th
South Africa rank
18th
Urban area over the long-term over time
- Iran
- South Africa
How they compare
Iran currently reports 8,281 km² per grid cell against 8,172 km² per grid cell in South Africa, a difference of 109 km² per grid cell.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 108 shared years of data; in 1000 it was Iran ahead.
Iran ranks 17th and South Africa ranks 18th of 202 countries.
Across the 40 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 35 and South Africa in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 30.81 km² per grid cell | 0.0026 km² per grid cell | 30.81 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1100s | 34.16 km² per grid cell | 0.0093 km² per grid cell | 34.15 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1200s | 37.68 km² per grid cell | 0.0326 km² per grid cell | 37.65 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1300s | 27.58 km² per grid cell | 0.1118 km² per grid cell | 27.47 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1400s | 30.85 km² per grid cell | 0.3772 km² per grid cell | 30.47 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1500s | 34.28 km² per grid cell | 1.26 km² per grid cell | 33.02 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1600s | 44.57 km² per grid cell | 4.4 km² per grid cell | 40.17 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1700s | 46.3 km² per grid cell | 18.86 km² per grid cell | 27.44 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1710s | 54.37 km² per grid cell | 20.92 km² per grid cell | 33.45 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1720s | 60.8 km² per grid cell | 22.88 km² per grid cell | 37.92 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1730s | 68 km² per grid cell | 24.75 km² per grid cell | 43.25 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1740s | 76.05 km² per grid cell | 26.53 km² per grid cell | 49.52 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1750s | 85.06 km² per grid cell | 28.22 km² per grid cell | 56.84 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1760s | 95.13 km² per grid cell | 29.81 km² per grid cell | 65.32 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1770s | 106.39 km² per grid cell | 31.31 km² per grid cell | 75.08 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1780s | 118.98 km² per grid cell | 32.71 km² per grid cell | 86.27 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1790s | 133.07 km² per grid cell | 34.03 km² per grid cell | 99.04 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1800s | 148.83 km² per grid cell | 35.25 km² per grid cell | 113.58 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1810s | 166.45 km² per grid cell | 36.38 km² per grid cell | 130.07 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1820s | 186.15 km² per grid cell | 37.41 km² per grid cell | 148.74 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1830s | 215.41 km² per grid cell | 38.35 km² per grid cell | 177.06 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1840s | 248.56 km² per grid cell | 39.19 km² per grid cell | 209.37 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1850s | 286.06 km² per grid cell | 48.2 km² per grid cell | 237.86 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1860s | 328.45 km² per grid cell | 61.75 km² per grid cell | 266.7 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1870s | 376.32 km² per grid cell | 84.07 km² per grid cell | 292.26 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1880s | 475.32 km² per grid cell | 166.07 km² per grid cell | 309.26 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1890s | 589.77 km² per grid cell | 193.06 km² per grid cell | 396.71 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1900s | 705.92 km² per grid cell | 237.22 km² per grid cell | 468.7 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1910s | 838.84 km² per grid cell | 298.57 km² per grid cell | 540.27 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1920s | 990.54 km² per grid cell | 331.84 km² per grid cell | 658.7 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1930s | 1,161 km² per grid cell | 397.13 km² per grid cell | 764.23 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1940s | 1,333 km² per grid cell | 487.77 km² per grid cell | 845.61 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1950s | 1,535 km² per grid cell | 1,057 km² per grid cell | 478.2 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1960s | 1,678 km² per grid cell | 1,477 km² per grid cell | 201.47 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1970s | 1,866 km² per grid cell | 2,038 km² per grid cell | 172.06 km² per grid cell | South Africa |
| 1980s | 2,602 km² per grid cell | 2,840 km² per grid cell | 238.39 km² per grid cell | South Africa |
| 1990s | 3,855 km² per grid cell | 4,087 km² per grid cell | 232.07 km² per grid cell | South Africa |
| 2000s | 5,180 km² per grid cell | 5,352 km² per grid cell | 172.63 km² per grid cell | South Africa |
| 2010s | 6,621 km² per grid cell | 6,693 km² per grid cell | 71.46 km² per grid cell | South Africa |
| 2020s | 7,890 km² per grid cell | 7,835 km² per grid cell | 54.58 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 South Africa?
- Iran, at 8,281 km² per grid cell against 8,172 km² per grid cell in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in urban area over the long-term between Iran and South Africa?
- 109 km² per grid cell, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and South Africa?
- 108 years are reported by both, from 1000 to 2025.
- How do Iran and South Africa rank globally for urban area over the long-term?
- Iran ranks 17th and South Africa ranks 18th 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.