Iran vs Turkey: Urban area over the long-term
Iran
8,281 km² per grid cell
in 2025
Turkey
7,698 km² per grid cell
in 2025
Iran rank
17th
Turkey rank
19th
Urban area over the long-term over time
- Iran
- Turkey
How they compare
Iran currently reports 8,281 km² per grid cell against 7,698 km² per grid cell in Turkey, a difference of 583 km² per grid cell.
That makes Iran's figure about 1.1 times Turkey's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 108 shared years of data; in 1000 it was Turkey ahead.
Iran ranks 17th and Turkey ranks 19th of 202 countries.
Across the 40 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 11 and Turkey in 29.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | Turkey | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 30.81 km² per grid cell | 45.26 km² per grid cell | 14.45 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1100s | 34.16 km² per grid cell | 34.63 km² per grid cell | 0.4683 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1200s | 37.68 km² per grid cell | 42.66 km² per grid cell | 4.97 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1300s | 27.58 km² per grid cell | 51.24 km² per grid cell | 23.65 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1400s | 30.85 km² per grid cell | 42.96 km² per grid cell | 12.12 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1500s | 34.28 km² per grid cell | 48.12 km² per grid cell | 13.84 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1600s | 44.57 km² per grid cell | 63.92 km² per grid cell | 19.35 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1700s | 46.3 km² per grid cell | 70.39 km² per grid cell | 24.09 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1710s | 54.37 km² per grid cell | 80.23 km² per grid cell | 25.87 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1720s | 60.8 km² per grid cell | 89.15 km² per grid cell | 28.34 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1730s | 68 km² per grid cell | 99.05 km² per grid cell | 31.05 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1740s | 76.05 km² per grid cell | 110.06 km² per grid cell | 34.01 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1750s | 85.06 km² per grid cell | 122.29 km² per grid cell | 37.23 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1760s | 95.13 km² per grid cell | 135.88 km² per grid cell | 40.75 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1770s | 106.39 km² per grid cell | 150.97 km² per grid cell | 44.58 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1780s | 118.98 km² per grid cell | 167.75 km² per grid cell | 48.76 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1790s | 133.07 km² per grid cell | 186.38 km² per grid cell | 53.31 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1800s | 148.83 km² per grid cell | 207.09 km² per grid cell | 58.27 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1810s | 166.45 km² per grid cell | 230.1 km² per grid cell | 63.66 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1820s | 186.15 km² per grid cell | 255.67 km² per grid cell | 69.52 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1830s | 215.41 km² per grid cell | 290.6 km² per grid cell | 75.19 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1840s | 248.56 km² per grid cell | 329.23 km² per grid cell | 80.68 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1850s | 286.06 km² per grid cell | 372.9 km² per grid cell | 86.84 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1860s | 328.45 km² per grid cell | 421.87 km² per grid cell | 93.42 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1870s | 376.32 km² per grid cell | 475.18 km² per grid cell | 98.85 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1880s | 475.32 km² per grid cell | 521.62 km² per grid cell | 46.29 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1890s | 589.77 km² per grid cell | 553.02 km² per grid cell | 36.75 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1900s | 705.92 km² per grid cell | 553.02 km² per grid cell | 152.9 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1910s | 838.84 km² per grid cell | 553.02 km² per grid cell | 285.82 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1920s | 990.54 km² per grid cell | 553.02 km² per grid cell | 437.52 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1930s | 1,161 km² per grid cell | 553.02 km² per grid cell | 608.35 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1940s | 1,333 km² per grid cell | 553.02 km² per grid cell | 780.36 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1950s | 1,535 km² per grid cell | 688.84 km² per grid cell | 845.96 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1960s | 1,678 km² per grid cell | 1,098 km² per grid cell | 580.09 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1970s | 1,866 km² per grid cell | 1,742 km² per grid cell | 124.54 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1980s | 2,602 km² per grid cell | 2,832 km² per grid cell | 230.01 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 1990s | 3,855 km² per grid cell | 4,190 km² per grid cell | 334.91 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 2000s | 5,180 km² per grid cell | 5,287 km² per grid cell | 107.25 km² per grid cell | Turkey |
| 2010s | 6,621 km² per grid cell | 6,429 km² per grid cell | 192.56 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 2020s | 7,890 km² per grid cell | 7,387 km² per grid cell | 502.69 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 Turkey?
- Iran, at 8,281 km² per grid cell against 7,698 km² per grid cell in Turkey as of 2025.
- What is the difference in urban area over the long-term between Iran and Turkey?
- 583 km² per grid cell, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Turkey?
- 108 years are reported by both, from 1000 to 2025.
- How do Iran and Turkey rank globally for urban area over the long-term?
- Iran ranks 17th and Turkey ranks 19th 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.