Demographics of Iran
Template:Infobox country demographics Template:Infobox nationality
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Iran's population increased dramatically in the late 20th century, reaching about 80 million by 2016.[1][2] As of 2025[update], Iran's population is around 92.4 million.[3] In recent years, however, Iran's birth rate has dropped significantly. Studies project that Iran's rate of population growth will continue to slow until it stabilises above 100 million by 2050.[4][5] Half of Iran's population was under 35 years old in 2012.[6] In January 2025, the average age of the Iranian population is 32 years.[7]
In 2009, the number of households stood at 15.3 million, at 4.8 persons per household.[8] In 2012, the average family income was 11.8 million rials (about $960) per month.[9]
Between 1990 to 2008 Iran's population grew by 17.6 million, an increase of 32%.[10] The literacy rate was 80% in 2002,[11][12] and 85% in 2016.[13] The 2021 fertility rate was 1.6, below the natural replacement rate of 2.1.[14]
Population
[edit]
In the 2016 census Iran's population was 79.9 million,[1] a fourfold increase since 1956. Between 1976 and 1986, an average annual population growth of almost 4% was reached. Due to decreasing fertility levels, growth decreased to 1.2% between 2011 and 2016.
| Census date | Population | Average annual growth (%) |
Population density/km2 |
Proportion urban (%) |
Household size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956-11-01 | 18,954,704 | — | 12 | 31.4 | |
| 1966-11-01 | 25,785,210 | 3.13 | 16 | 37.5 | |
| 1976-11-01 | 33,708,744 | 2.71 | 20 | 47.0 | 5.02 |
| 1986-11-22 | 49,445,010 | 3.91 | 30 | 54.0 | 5.11 |
| 1996-11-01 | 60,055,488 | 2.0 | 37 | 61.0 | 4.84 |
| 2006-11-01 | 70,495,782 | 1.62 | 43 | 68.5 | 4.03 |
| 2011-11-01 | 75,149,669 | 1.29 | 46 | 71.4 | 3.55 |
| 2016-11-01 | 79,926,270 | 1.24 | 49 | 74.0 | 3.3 |
| Age group | Number (2006) | Percentage (2006) | Number (2011) | Percentage (2011) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 70,495,782 | 100 | 75,149,669 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 5,463,978 | 7.75 | 6,232,552 | 8.29 |
| 5–9 | 5,509,057 | 7.81 | 5,657,791 | 7.53 |
| 10–14 | 6,708,591 | 9.52 | 5,671,435 | 7.55 |
| 15–19 | 8,726,761 | 12.38 | 6,607,043 | 8.79 |
| 20–24 | 9,011,422 | 12.78 | 8,414,497 | 11.20 |
| 25–29 | 7,224,952 | 10.25 | 8,672,654 | 11.54 |
| 30–34 | 5,553,531 | 7.88 | 6,971,924 | 9.28 |
| 35–39 | 4,921,124 | 6.98 | 5,571,018 | 7.41 |
| 40–44 | 4,089,158 | 5.80 | 4,906,749 | 6.53 |
| 45–49 | 3,522,761 | 5.00 | 4,030,481 | 5.36 |
| 50–54 | 2,755,420 | 3.91 | 3,527,408 | 4.69 |
| 55–59 | 1,887,981 | 2.68 | 2,680,119 | 3.57 |
| 60–64 | 1,464,452 | 2.08 | 1,862,907 | 2.48 |
| 65–69 | 1,197,550 | 1.70 | 1,343,731 | 1.79 |
| 70–74 | 1,119,318 | 1.59 | 1,119,968 | 1.49 |
| 75–79 | 694,122 | 0.98 | 913,531 | 1.22 |
| 80+ | 645,601 | 0.92 | 919,539 | 1.22 |
| Unclear | – | – | 46,322 | 0.06 |
| Number of children 0–14 | Number of people 15–49 | Proportion | Number of women 15–49 | Proportion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17,681,629 (2006) | 43,049,709 (2006) | 0.4107 (2006) | ~21,524,855 (2006) | 0.8215 (2006) |
| 17,561,778 (2011) | 45,174,366 (2011) | 0.3888 (2011) | ~22,587,183 (2011) | 0.7775 (2011) |
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2020) Data refers to the Iranian Year which begins on 21 March and ends on 20 March of the following year.[16]
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 42,484,186 | 41,553,414 | 84,037,600 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 3,751,160 | 3,584,640 | 7,335,800 | 8.73 |
| 5–9 | 3,644,823 | 3,453,109 | 7,097,932 | 8.45 |
| 10–14 | 3,195,837 | 3,043,160 | 6,238,997 | 7.42 |
| 15–19 | 2,850,201 | 2,723,069 | 5,573,270 | 6.63 |
| 20–24 | 2,817,236 | 2,715,743 | 5,532,979 | 6.58 |
| 25–29 | 3,398,106 | 3,322,934 | 6,721,040 | 8.00 |
| 30–34 | 4,246,233 | 4,166,179 | 8,412,412 | 10.01 |
| 35–39 | 4,226,366 | 4,147,771 | 8,374,137 | 9.96 |
| 40–44 | 3,375,662 | 3,271,031 | 6,646,693 | 7.91 |
| 45–49 | 2,687,892 | 2,591,386 | 5,279,278 | 6.28 |
| 50–54 | 2,321,552 | 2,270,429 | 4,591,981 | 5.46 |
| 55–59 | 1,841,337 | 1,847,872 | 3,689,209 | 4.39 |
| 60–64 | 1,510,299 | 1,557,919 | 3,068,218 | 3.65 |
| 65–69 | 1,058,091 | 1,138,129 | 2,196,220 | 2.61 |
| 70–74 | 640 098 | 748 890 | 1,388,988 | 1.65 |
| 75–79 | 415 623 | 459 393 | 875 016 | 1.04 |
| 80+ | 503 670 | 511 760 | 1,015,430 | 1.21 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 10,591,820 | 10,080,909 | 20,672,729 | 24.60 |
| 15–64 | 29,274,884 | 28,614,333 | 57,889,217 | 68.88 |
| 65+ | 2,617,482 | 2,858,172 | 5,475,654 | 6.52 |
| Year | 0–14 | 15–64 | 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 44.5 | 52 | 3.5 |
| 1985 | 45.5 | 51.5 | 3 |
| 1996 | 39.5 | 56.1 | 4.3 |
| 2006 | 25.1 (17,681,629) | 69.7 (49,157,562) | 5.2 (3,656,591) |
| 2011 | 23.4 (17,561,778) | 70.9 (53,297,122) | 5.7 (4,290,769) |
| 2016 | 24.0 (19,192,665) | 69.9 (55,862,087) | 6.1 (4,871,518) |
Table 9 – Population and Average Annual Growth by Provinces: 2006 and 2011
| Province | 2006 | 2011 | Average annual growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alborz | 2,076,991 | 2,412,513 | 3.04 |
| Ardabil | 1,228,155 | 1,248,488 | 0.33 |
| Bushehr | 886,267 | 1,032,949 | 3.11 |
| Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari | 857,910 | 895,263 | 0.86 |
| East Azerbaijan | 3,603,456 | 3,724,620 | 0.66 |
| Fars | 4,336,878 | 4,596,658 | 1.17 |
| Gilan | 2,404,861 | 2,480,874 | 0.62 |
| Golestan | 1,617,087 | 1,777,014 | 1.90 |
| Hamadan | 1,703,267 | 1,758,268 | 0.64 |
| Hormozgan | 1,403,674 | 1,578,183 | 2.37 |
| Ilam | 545,787 | 557,599 | 0.43 |
| Isfahan | 4,559,256 | 4,879,312 | 1.37 |
| Kerman | 2,652,413 | 2,938,988 | 2.07 |
| Kermanshah | 1,879,385 | 1,945,227 | 0.69 |
| Khuzestan | 4,274,979 | 4,531,720 | 1.17 |
| Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad | 634,299 | 658,629 | 0.76 |
| Kurdistan | 1,440,156 | 1,493,645 | 0.73 |
| Lorestan | 1,716,527 | 1,754,243 | 0.44 |
| Markazi | 1,351,257 | 1,413,959 | 0.91 |
| Mazandaran | 2,922,432 | 3,073,943 | 1.02 |
| North Khorasan | 811,572 | 867,727 | 1.35 |
| Qazvin | 1,143,200 | 1,201,565 | 1.00 |
| Qom | 1,046,737 | 1,151,672 | 1.93 |
| Razavi Khorasan | 5,593,079 | 5,994,402 | 1.40 |
| Semnan | 589,742 | 631,218 | 1.37 |
| Sistan and Baluchestan | 2,405,742 | 2,534,327 | 1.05 |
| South Khorasan | 636,420 | 662,534 | 0.81 |
| Tehran | 11,345,375 | 12,183,391 | 1.44 |
| West Azerbaijan | 2,873,459 | 3,080,576 | 1.40 |
| Yazd | 990,818 | 1,074,428 | 1.63 |
| Zanjan | 964,601 | 1,015,734 | 1.04 |
| Total | 70,495,782 | 75,149,669 | 1.29 |
1 The population of the provinces of Alborz and Tehran for 2006 and their average annual growth have been calculated based on the data of 2011.
Unofficial Translation 17
Table 10 – Population Percentages by Province: 2006 and 2011 (Percentage)
| Province | 2006 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| Alborz | 2.95 | 3.21 |
| Ardabil | 1.74 | 1.66 |
| Bushehr | 1.26 | 1.37 |
| Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari | 1.22 | 1.19 |
| East Azerbaijan | 5.11 | 4.96 |
| Fars | 6.15 | 6.12 |
| Gilan | 3.41 | 3.30 |
| Golestan | 2.29 | 2.36 |
| Hamadan | 2.42 | 2.34 |
| Hormozgan | 1.99 | 2.10 |
| Ilam | 0.77 | 0.74 |
| Isfahan | 6.47 | 6.49 |
| Kerman | 3.76 | 3.91 |
| Kermanshah | 2.67 | 2.59 |
| Khuzestan | 6.06 | 6.03 |
| Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad | 0.90 | 0.88 |
| Kurdistan | 2.04 | 1.99 |
| Lorestan | 2.43 | 2.33 |
| Markazi | 1.92 | 1.88 |
| Mazandaran | 4.15 | 4.09 |
| North Khorasan | 1.15 | 1.15 |
| Qazvin | 1.62 | 1.60 |
| Qom | 1.48 | 1.53 |
| Razavi Khorasan | 7.93 | 7.98 |
| Semnan | 0.84 | 0.84 |
| Sistan and Baluchestan | 3.41 | 3.37 |
| South Khorasan | 0.90 | 0.88 |
| Tehran | 16.09 | 16.21 |
| West Azerbaijan | 4.08 | 4.10 |
| Yazd | 1.41 | 1.43 |
| Zanjan | 1.37 | 1.35 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
1 The population of the provinces of Alborz and Tehran for 2006 and their average annual growth have been calculated based on the data of 2011.
Urban population
[edit]
Iran has one of the steepest urban growth rates in the world. In 2015, approximately 73.4% of Iran's population lived in urban areas, up from 27% in 1950.[17]
The following is a list of the 8 most populous cities in Iran:
| Rank | City | Province | population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City[18] | Metro[19] | |||
| 1 | Tehran | Tehran | 8,693,706 | 14,700,000 |
| 2 | Mashhad | Razavi Khorasan | 3,001,184 | 3,100,000 |
| 3 | Isfahan | Isfahan | 1,961,260 | 3,100,000 |
| 4 | Karaj | Alborz | 1,592,492 | 2,500,000 |
| 5 | Shiraz | Fars | 1,565,572 | 1,700,000 |
| 6 | Tabriz | East Azarbaijan | 1,588,693 | 1,760,000 |
| 7 | Qom | Qom | 1,201,158 | 1,240,000 |
| 8 | Ahvaz | Khuzestan | 1,184,788 | 1,320,000 |
Vital statistics
[edit]UN estimates
[edit]2022 estimates.[20]
Template:Sticky-headerTemplate:Sort underTemplate:Table alignment
| Population (on 1 July) |
Live births per year |
Deaths per year |
Natural change per year |
Crude birth rate1 |
Crude death rate1 |
Natural change1 |
Crude migration rate1 |
Total fertility rate2 |
Infant mortality rate3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 16,833,000 | 844,000 | 469,000 | 375,000 | 50.1 | 27.9 | 22.3 | 6.95 | 209.0 | |
| 1951 | 17,220,000 | 863,000 | 481,000 | 382,000 | 50.1 | 27.9 | 22.2 | 0.3 | 6.95 | 207.3 |
| 1952 | 17,614,000 | 883,000 | 485,000 | 398,000 | 50.1 | 27.5 | 22.6 | -0.2 | 6.96 | 203.7 |
| 1953 | 18,018,000 | 904,000 | 490,000 | 414,000 | 50.1 | 27.2 | 23.0 | -0.6 | 6.98 | 200.5 |
| 1954 | 18,435,000 | 925,000 | 490,000 | 434,000 | 50.1 | 26.6 | 23.6 | -1.0 | 7.01 | 197.2 |
| 1955 | 18,874,000 | 946,000 | 491,000 | 455,000 | 50.1 | 26.0 | 24.1 | -0.8 | 7.04 | 192.9 |
| 1956 | 19,332,000 | 968,000 | 494,000 | 474,000 | 50.0 | 25.5 | 24.5 | -0.8 | 7.08 | 189.5 |
| 1957 | 19,806,000 | 996,000 | 497,000 | 499,000 | 50.2 | 25.1 | 25.2 | -1.3 | 7.18 | 185.8 |
| 1958 | 20,295,000 | 1,022,000 | 494,000 | 528,000 | 50.3 | 24.3 | 26.0 | -1.9 | 7.28 | 181.6 |
| 1959 | 20,822,000 | 1,046,000 | 494,000 | 551,000 | 50.2 | 23.7 | 26.5 | -1.2 | 7.38 | 177.8 |
| 1960 | 21,389,000 | 1,049,000 | 493,000 | 556,000 | 49.0 | 23.1 | 26.0 | 0.5 | 7.30 | 174.0 |
| 1961 | 21,984,000 | 1,053,000 | 489,000 | 564,000 | 48.0 | 22.3 | 25.7 | 1.4 | 7.23 | 170.2 |
| 1962 | 22,605,000 | 1,069,000 | 500,000 | 569,000 | 47.4 | 22.2 | 25.2 | 2.3 | 7.22 | 167.3 |
| 1963 | 23,259,000 | 1,082,000 | 485,000 | 597,000 | 46.6 | 20.9 | 25.7 | 2.4 | 7.18 | 162.8 |
| 1964 | 23,949,000 | 1,098,000 | 483,000 | 615,000 | 45.9 | 20.2 | 25.7 | 3.1 | 7.13 | 159.1 |
| 1965 | 24,667,000 | 1,120,000 | 482,000 | 637,000 | 45.5 | 19.6 | 25.9 | 3.2 | 7.11 | 155.4 |
| 1966 | 25,399,000 | 1,145,000 | 480,000 | 664,000 | 45.1 | 18.9 | 26.2 | 2.6 | 7.08 | 151.6 |
| 1967 | 26,133,000 | 1,174,000 | 480,000 | 694,000 | 44.9 | 18.4 | 26.6 | 1.5 | 7.05 | 147.6 |
| 1968 | 26,875,000 | 1,195,000 | 487,000 | 708,000 | 44.5 | 18.1 | 26.4 | 1.2 | 6.97 | 144.0 |
| 1969 | 27,644,000 | 1,220,000 | 474,000 | 746,000 | 44.2 | 17.2 | 27.0 | 0.8 | 6.90 | 138.9 |
| 1970 | 28,450,000 | 1,229,000 | 468,000 | 761,000 | 43.2 | 16.5 | 26.8 | 1.5 | 6.71 | 134.1 |
| 1971 | 29,274,000 | 1,239,000 | 459,000 | 780,000 | 42.4 | 15.7 | 26.7 | 1.4 | 6.51 | 128.9 |
| 1972 | 30,112,000 | 1,237,000 | 456,000 | 782,000 | 41.1 | 15.1 | 26.0 | 1.8 | 6.25 | 123.8 |
| 1973 | 30,982,000 | 1,258,000 | 440,000 | 818,000 | 40.6 | 14.2 | 26.4 | 1.7 | 6.11 | 118.2 |
| 1974 | 31,896,000 | 1,295,000 | 433,000 | 862,000 | 40.6 | 13.6 | 27.0 | 1.7 | 6.04 | 113.0 |
| 1975 | 32,857,000 | 1,339,000 | 428,000 | 911,000 | 40.8 | 13.0 | 27.8 | 1.4 | 6.01 | 107.7 |
| 1976 | 33,841,000 | 1,416,000 | 425,000 | 991,000 | 41.8 | 12.5 | 29.3 | -0.2 | 6.14 | 102.3 |
| 1977 | 34,876,000 | 1,474,000 | 421,000 | 1,053,000 | 42.3 | 12.1 | 30.2 | -0.5 | 6.20 | 96.6 |
| 1978 | 35,994,000 | 1,550,000 | 446,000 | 1,104,000 | 43.1 | 12.4 | 30.7 | 0.4 | 6.33 | 92.4 |
| 1979 | 37,205,000 | 1,645,000 | 411,000 | 1,234,000 | 44.2 | 11.0 | 33.2 | -0.7 | 6.53 | 85.1 |
| 1980 | 38,521,000 | 1,708,000 | 422,000 | 1,286,000 | 44.4 | 11.0 | 33.4 | 0.8 | 6.58 | 79.5 |
| 1981 | 40,476,000 | 1,756,000 | 463,000 | 1,293,000 | 44.1 | 11.6 | 32.4 | 15.9 | 6.56 | 74.3 |
| 1982 | 42,500,000 | 1,886,000 | 467,000 | 1,419,000 | 44.4 | 11.0 | 33.4 | 14.2 | 6.55 | 69.3 |
| 1983 | 44,028,000 | 1,930,000 | 458,000 | 1,472,000 | 43.9 | 10.4 | 33.5 | 1.2 | 6.51 | 65.1 |
| 1984 | 45,628,000 | 1,966,000 | 420,000 | 1,546,000 | 43.1 | 9.2 | 33.9 | 1.2 | 6.44 | 61.5 |
| 1985 | 47,266,000 | 1,974,000 | 415,000 | 1,559,000 | 41.8 | 8.8 | 33.0 | 1.7 | 6.26 | 58.2 |
| 1986 | 48,913,000 | 1,957,000 | 409,000 | 1,547,000 | 40.0 | 8.4 | 31.7 | 2.0 | 6.01 | 55.3 |
| 1987 | 50,541,000 | 1,915,000 | 407,000 | 1,507,000 | 37.9 | 8.1 | 29.9 | 2.3 | 5.69 | 52.6 |
| 1988 | 52,112,000 | 1,872,000 | 399,000 | 1,473,000 | 36.0 | 7.7 | 28.3 | 1.8 | 5.39 | 49.8 |
| 1989 | 53,645,000 | 1,828,000 | 358,000 | 1,470,000 | 34.1 | 6.7 | 27.4 | 1.2 | 5.11 | 47.4 |
| 1990 | 55,794,000 | 1,788,000 | 395,000 | 1,393,000 | 32.5 | 7.2 | 25.3 | 13.2 | 4.86 | 46.5 |
| 1991 | 57,991,000 | 1,790,000 | 359,000 | 1,431,000 | 30.9 | 6.2 | 24.7 | 13.2 | 4.51 | 43.1 |
| 1992 | 59,372,000 | 1,697,000 | 358,000 | 1,340,000 | 28.5 | 6.0 | 22.5 | 0.8 | 4.08 | 41.3 |
| 1993 | 59,755,000 | 1,579,000 | 352,000 | 1,227,000 | 26.1 | 5.8 | 20.3 | -13.9 | 3.68 | 39.8 |
| 1994 | 59,986,000 | 1,367,000 | 340,000 | 1,027,000 | 22.8 | 5.7 | 17.1 | -13.2 | 3.27 | 38.2 |
| 1995 | 60,795,000 | 1,244,000 | 335,000 | 908,000 | 20.4 | 5.5 | 14.9 | -1.6 | 2.89 | 36.8 |
| 1996 | 61,598,000 | 1,145,000 | 333,000 | 811,000 | 18.6 | 5.4 | 13.2 | -0.2 | 2.57 | 35.4 |
| 1997 | 62,481,000 | 1,081,000 | 334,000 | 747,000 | 17.3 | 5.4 | 12.0 | 2.1 | 2.33 | 34.0 |
| 1998 | 63,461,000 | 1,064,000 | 336,000 | 727,000 | 16.8 | 5.3 | 11.5 | 3.9 | 2.20 | 32.5 |
| 1999 | 64,475,000 | 1,065,000 | 333,000 | 732,000 | 16.6 | 5.2 | 11.4 | 4.3 | 2.10 | 31.0 |
| 2000 | 65,544,000 | 1,071,000 | 337,000 | 735,000 | 16.4 | 5.2 | 11.2 | 5.1 | 2.02 | 29.5 |
| 2001 | 66,675,000 | 1,082,000 | 344,000 | 738,000 | 16.3 | 5.2 | 11.1 | 5.9 | 1.94 | 28.1 |
| 2002 | 67,327,000 | 1,086,000 | 345,000 | 742,000 | 16.1 | 5.1 | 11.0 | -1.3 | 1.87 | 26.4 |
| 2003 | 67,955,000 | 1,081,000 | 370,000 | 712,000 | 16.0 | 5.5 | 10.5 | -1.3 | 1.82 | 25.6 |
| 2004 | 69,062,000 | 1,107,000 | 345,000 | 762,000 | 16.1 | 5.0 | 11.1 | 4.9 | 1.80 | 23.4 |
| 2005 | 70,183,000 | 1,134,000 | 348,000 | 786,000 | 16.2 | 5.0 | 11.2 | 4.8 | 1.78 | 21.9 |
| 2006 | 71,276,000 | 1,173,000 | 349,000 | 824,000 | 16.5 | 4.9 | 11.6 | 3.7 | 1.77 | 20.6 |
| 2007 | 72,319,000 | 1,221,000 | 350,000 | 872,000 | 16.9 | 4.8 | 12.1 | 2.3 | 1.77 | 19.4 |
| 2008 | 73,318,000 | 1,265,000 | 369,000 | 896,000 | 17.3 | 5.0 | 12.2 | 1.4 | 1.77 | 18.2 |
| 2009 | 74,323,000 | 1,304,000 | 381,000 | 923,000 | 17.5 | 5.1 | 12.4 | 1.1 | 1.77 | 17.2 |
| 2010 | 75,374,000 | 1,337,000 | 385,000 | 953,000 | 17.8 | 5.1 | 12.6 | 1.3 | 1.77 | 16.3 |
| 2011 | 76,343,000 | 1,388,000 | 381,000 | 1,008,000 | 18.2 | 5.0 | 13.2 | -0.5 | 1.80 | 15.5 |
| 2012 | 77,324,000 | 1,464,000 | 378,000 | 1,085,000 | 18.9 | 4.9 | 14.0 | -1.3 | 1.89 | 14.8 |
| 2013 | 78,459,000 | 1,526,000 | 385,000 | 1,141,000 | 19.4 | 4.9 | 14.5 | 0 | 1.96 | 14.2 |
| 2014 | 79,962,000 | 1,579,000 | 391,000 | 1,188,000 | 19.8 | 4.9 | 14.9 | 3.9 | 2.04 | 13.6 |
| 2015 | 81,791,000 | 1,583,000 | 395,000 | 1,188,000 | 19.4 | 4.8 | 14.6 | 7.8 | 2.05 | 13.1 |
| 2016 | 83,306,000 | 1,584,000 | 394,000 | 1,190,000 | 19.0 | 4.7 | 14.3 | 3.9 | 2.07 | 12.6 |
| 2017 | 84,505,000 | 1,572,000 | 396,000 | 1,176,000 | 18.6 | 4.7 | 13.9 | 0.3 | 2.07 | 12.2 |
| 2018 | 85,618,000 | 1,475,000 | 404,000 | 1,071,000 | 17.2 | 4.7 | 12.5 | 0.5 | 1.97 | 11.8 |
| 2019 | 86,564,000 | 1,308,000 | 421,000 | 886,000 | 15.1 | 4.9 | 10.2 | -0.4 | 1.77 | 11.4 |
| 2020 | 87,290,000 | 1,243,000 | 486,000 | 757,000 | 14.2 | 5.6 | 8.7 | -0.1 | 1.71 | 11.0 |
| 2021 | 87,923,000 | 1,204,000 | 566,000 | 638,000 | 13.7 | 6.4 | 7.3 | -0.1 | 1.69 | 10.7 |
| 2022 | 88,550,000 | 1,151,000 | 531,000 | 620,000 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 10 |
- Notes
1 per 1000
2 TFR = number of children per woman
3 per 1000 births
Registered births and deaths
[edit][21][22] [23] Note that registrations may be by year of registration and not by year of occurrence. This was especially the case in the beginning of the 1980s when there were many late registrations. This explains the high number of births in 1980–1986. Before 1980, the registrations were incomplete.
Template:Sticky-headerTemplate:Sort underTemplate:Table alignment
| Average population | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate (per 1000) | Crude death rate (per 1000) | Natural change (per 1000) | Crude migration rate (per 1000) | Total Fertility Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | 864,846 | 176,268 | 688,578 | ||||||
| 1960 | 876,206 | 171,040 | 705,166 | ||||||
| 1961 | 902,260 | 159,371 | 742,889 | ||||||
| 1962 | 957,500 | 165,488 | 792,012 | ||||||
| 1963 | 920,967 | 135,912 | 785,055 | ||||||
| 1964 | 1,118,911 | 145,174 | 973,737 | ||||||
| 1965 | 1,139,663 | 171,940 | 967,723 | ||||||
| 1966 | 1,101,606 | 178,991 | 922,615 | ||||||
| 1967 | 1,019,373 | 179,159 | 840,214 | ||||||
| 1968 | 1,037,022 | 174,201 | 862,821 | ||||||
| 1969 | 1,091,513 | 167,660 | 923,853 | ||||||
| 1970 | 1,189,203 | 163,430 | 1,025,773 | ||||||
| 1971 | 1,231,227 | 149,325 | 1,081,902 | ||||||
| 1972 | 1,138,843 | 153,568 | 985,275 | ||||||
| 1973 | 1,199,777 | 155,081 | 1,044,696 | ||||||
| 1974 | 1,248,256 | 149,785 | 1,098,471 | ||||||
| 1975 | 1,339,267 | 148,543 | 1,190,724 | ||||||
| 1976 | 1,401,426 | 155,981 | 1,245,445 | ||||||
| 1977 | 1,399,977 | 146,369 | 1,253,608 | ||||||
| 1978 | 1,369,597 | 127,587 | 1,242,010 | ||||||
| 1979 | 1,689,908 | 142,402 | 1,547,506 | ||||||
| 1980 | 2,450,308 | 162,176 | 2,288,132 | ||||||
| 1981 | 2,421,611 | 178,099 | 2,243,512 | ||||||
| 1982 | 2,101,894 | 200,614 | 1,901,280 | ||||||
| 1983 | 2,203,448 | 207,228 | 1,996,220 | ||||||
| 1984 | 2,067,803 | 186,440 | 1,881,363 | ||||||
| 1985 | 2,033,285 | 190,061 | 1,843,224 | ||||||
| 1986 | 2,259,055 | 199,511 | 2,059,544 | ||||||
| 1987 | 1,832,089 | 204,230 | 1,627,859 | ||||||
| 1988 | 1,944,149 | 238,390 | 1,705,759 | ||||||
| 1989 | 1,784,811 | 199,645 | 1,585,166 | ||||||
| 1990 | 1,722,977 | 217,597 | 1,505,380 | ||||||
| 1991 | 1,582,931 | 217,637 | 1,365,294 | ||||||
| 1992 | 1,433,243 | 188,647 | 1,244,596 | ||||||
| 1993 | 1,388,017 | 208,161 | 1,179,856 | ||||||
| 1994 | 1,426,784 | 3.50 | |||||||
| 1995 | 1,205,372 | 3.22 | |||||||
| 1996 | 1,187,903 | 2.95 | |||||||
| 1997 | 1,179,260 | 2.73 | |||||||
| 1998 | 1,185,639 | 551,345 | 634,294 | 2.53 | |||||
| 1999 | 62,738,000 | 1,177,557 | 374,838 | 802,719 | 18.8 | 6.0 | 12.8 | 2.36 | |
| 2000 | 63,658,000 | 1,095,165 | 382,674 | 712,491 | 17.2 | 6.0 | 11.2 | 3.26 | 2.19 |
| 2001 | 64,592,000 | 1,110,836 | 421,525 | 689,311 | 17.2 | 6.5 | 10.7 | 3.80 | 2.09 |
| 2002 | 65,540,000 | 1,122,104 | 337,237 | 784,867 | 17.1 | 5.1 | 12.0 | 2.50 | 2.01 |
| 2003 | 66,480,000 | 1,171,573 | 368,518 | 803,055 | 17.6 | 5.5 | 12.1 | 2.06 | 1.92 |
| 2004 | 67,477,000 | 1,154,368 | 355,213 | 799,155 | 17.1 | 5.3 | 11.8 | 2.93 | 1.87 |
| 2005 | 69,672,000 | 1,239,408 | 363,723 | 875,685 | 18.1 | 5.3 | 12.8 | 18.93 | 1.82 |
| 2006 | 70,554,000 | 1,253,912 | 408,566 | 845,346 | 17.8 | 5.8 | 12.0 | 0.52 | 1.79 |
| 2007 | 71,336,000 | 1,286,716 | 412,736 | 873,980 | 18.0 | 5.8 | 12.2 | −1.29 | 1.81 |
| 2008 | 72,120,000 | 1,300,166 | 417,798 | 882,368 | 17.9 | 5.8 | 12.2 | −1.36 | 1.80 |
| 2009 | 72,924,000 | 1,348,546 | 393,514 | 955,032 | 18.3 | 5.3 | 13.0 | −2.08 | 1.78 |
| 2010 | 73,762,000 | 1,363,542 | 441,042 | 922,500 | 18.3 | 5.9 | 12.4 | −1.15 | 1.77 |
| 2011 | 74,634,000 | 1,382,229 | 422,133 | 960,096 | 18.3 | 5.6 | 12.7 | −1.18 | 1.74 |
| 2012 | 75,539,000 | 1,421,689 | 367,512 | 1,054,177 | 18.7 | 4.8 | 13.9 | −1.97 | 1.73 |
| 2013 | 76,481,000 | 1,471,834 | 372,279 | 1,099,555 | 19.1 | 4.8 | 14.3 | −2.06 | 1.70 |
| 2014 | 77,465,000 | 1,534,362 | 446,333 | 1,088,029 | 19.8 | 5.8 | 14.0 | −1.34 | 1.68 |
| 2015 | 78,492,000 | 1,570,219 | 374,827 | 1,195,392 | 20.0 | 4.8 | 15.2 | −2.14 | 2.16 |
| 2016 | 79,926,000 | 1,528,053 | 388,792 | 1,139,261 | 19.2 | 4.9 | 14.3 | 3.69 | 2.11 |
| 2017 | 80,960,000 | 1,487,923 | 369,751 | 1,118,172 | 19.0 | 4.6 | 14.4 | −1.04 | 2.09 |
| 2018 | 81,865,000 | 1,366,519 | 376,731 | 989,788 | 16.9 | 4.6 | 12.3 | −1.03 | 1.95 |
| 2019 | 82,585,000 | 1,196,132 | 395,319 | 800,813 | 14.4 | 4.8 | 9.6 | −0.98 | 1.77 |
| 2020 | 83,220,000 | 1,114,128 | 511,881 | 602,247 | 13.4 | 6.2 | 7.5 | 0.39 | 1.65 |
| 2021 | 83,935,000 | 1,116,212 | 544,517 | 571,695 | 13.2 | 6.4 | 6.8 | 1.70 | 1.61 |
| 2022 | 1,075,381 | 395,727 | 679,654 | 12.7 | 4.7 | 8.0 | 1.55(e) | ||
| 2023 | 1,057,948 | 403,202 | 654,746 | 12.4 | 4.7 | 7.7 | 1.52(e) | ||
| 2024 | 85,961,000 | 979,923[24] | 458,873 | 521,075 | 11.4 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 1.44[25] | |
| 2025 | 86,563,000 | 892,268[26] | 451,682 | 440,586 | 10.3 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 1.35[27] |
Current vital statistics
[edit]| Period | Live births | Deaths | Natural increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2024—March 2025 | 979,929 | ||
| March 2025—March 2026 | 892,268 | ||
| Difference | Decrease –87,661 (-8.95%) | ||
| Source:[28] | |||
Total fertility rate
[edit]In 1960, Iran's fertility rate was 7.3 children per woman. In 2021, the rate had fallen to 1.7 children per woman.[29] According to a study through the Australian National University, there are both micro and macro factors affecting the fertility rate in Iran, including education, economics, and culture.[30] Micro-factors can include family income levels and individual choices, while macro-factors can include the country's economy, education, and shifting cultural values.[30]
The cross-sectional cohort study examined four provinces in Iran (Gilan, Sistan & Baluchistan, West Azerbaijan, and Yazd) and found that trends show that women in all four provinces are choosing to have fewer children compared to the women born in the earlier cohorts. The majority of women agreed with statements such as "having many children is an obstacle for the parents' interests" and "having many children creates financial pressure for the family", among others.[30]
Other sources also suggest that delayed marriage and a tendency to limit fertility are factors affecting the decline of TFR.[31] A decline in TFR can lead to population decrease, and an ageing population, which can negatively impact the country's economy.[32] In response, Iranian policymakers have attempted to limit these factors by restricting access to contraceptives and surgeries that reduce fertility.[33]
Before 1950
[edit]| Years | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934[34] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Fertility Rate in Iran | 7.08 | 7.07 | 7.07 | 7.06 | 7.05 | 7.05 | 7.04 | 7.03 | 7.03 | 7.02 |
| Years | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944[34] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Fertility Rate in Iran | 7.01 | 7.01 | 7 | 6.99 | 6.99 | 6.98 | 6.97 | 6.97 | 6.96 | 6.95 |
| Years | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949[34] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Fertility Rate in Iran | 6.95 | 6.94 | 6.93 | 6.93 | 6.92 |
Life expectancy
[edit]
Sex ratio
- at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
- 0–14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15–24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
- 25–54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
- 55–64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
- total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
- total population: 75.06 years
- male: 73.71 years
- female: 76.48 years (2021 est.)
Ethnic groups
[edit]TemplateStyles' src attribute must not be empty.
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion with: the table which can be expanded with the source provided. You can help by adding to it. (December 2024) |
Iran is a mosaic of diverse ethnic groups, contrary to popular belief that all Iranians are "just Persian".[35][36] According to a 1939 survey and Anthropological study of the people of Iran,[37]: 209 these were the ethnic groups that resided in the following areas of Iran:
| District | Locality | Sedentary [clarification needed] population (approx.) |
Chief town | Ethnic Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abadeh-i-Iqlid | Northern Fars | 25,000 | Abadeh | Chiefly Lashani and Cheharrahi |
| Abadeh-i-Tashk | Near Daryacheh-i-Tashk | 6,500 | Abadeh-i-Tashk | Chiefly Lashani and Cheharrahi |
| Abraj | West of Mahin | 1,000 | N/A | Turkics and Persians |
| Aftar | Southwest of Jahrom | 3,000 | Abi-i-Garm | Turkics and Persians |
| 'Alamarvdakht | Southern Fars | 4,000 | 'Alamarvdakht | Chiefly Behbehani Lurs with some Arab blood |
| Angali | Northeast of Bushire | 2,000 | Mahmud Shahi | Chiefly Behbehani Lurs with some Arab blood |
| Arbaeh, Mahals-i | South of Firuzabad | 1,000 | Hangam | Turkics from Simakan |
| Ardakan | Northwest of Shiraz | 6,000 | Ardakan | Turkics from Simakan |
| Arisinjan | Northeast of Shiraz | 5,000 | Arisinjan | Turkics from Simakan |
| Asir | Near the 'Alamarvdakht | 5,500 | Asir | Turkics from Simakan |
| Baiza, Dasht-i | Northwest of Shiraz | 1,200 | Bandar Dilam | Turkics from Simakan |
| Bandar Dilam | Northwest coast of Fars | 10,000 | Bandar Dilam | Turkics from Simakan |
| Bawanat | Northeastern Fars | 12,000 | Bawanat | Turkics from Simakan |
| Bidshahr (or Juwun-i-Bidshahr) | South of Jahrum | Bidshahr | Dashtis | |
| Borazjan | Northeast of Bushire | 6,500 | Borazjan | Dashtis |
| Chah Kutah | East of Bushire | 1,500 | Chah Kutah | Dashtis |
| Chehar Dungeh,
Sarhad-i- |
Northern Fars | 3,000 | Asupas | Dashtis |
| Dalaki | Northeast of Bushire | N/A | Dalaki | Dashtis |
| Darab | Southeastern Fars | 10,000 | Darab | Dashtis |
| Dashti | Southeast of Bushire | 20,000 | Khurmuj | Dashtis |
| Dashtistan | East of Bushire | 15,000 | Borazjan | Immigrants from Dashti or Shiraz |
| Dizkurd | Northwestern Fars | 500 | N/A | Circassians |
| Istehbanat | South of Niriz | 4,000 | Istehbanat | Mainly Turkic and Lurs |
| Jahrum | South central Fars | 7,500 | Jahrum | Mainly Turkic and Lurs |
| Jireh | East of Bushire | 2,500 | Jireh | Mainly Turkic and Lurs |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Shibkuh ports | West of Ras Bustaneh | - | - | Sunni and Shia Arabs[37]: 228 |
| Minab | - | - | - | An ethnic group of mixed Persian, Baluchi, Arab, and Sub-Saharan African descent.[37]: 228–229 |
| Laristan | Laristan region | 90,000[37]: 228 | Those living on the coast line are to a great extent Arabs (Huwala), while the farmers are principally Persians [Iranis].[37]: 228 |
Genetics
[edit]Haplogroups
[edit]Y-chromosome DNA
[edit]Y-Chromosome DNA Y-DNA represents the male lineage, the Iranian Y-chromosome pool is as follows where haplogroups, R1 (25%), J2 (23%) G (14%), J1 (8%) E1b1b (5%), L (4%), Q (4%), comprise more than 85% of the total chromosomes.[38][39]
| Haplogroup[40] | n | B | C | E1b1a | E1b1b1a2 | E1b1b1a3 | E1b1b1c | F | G | H | I | J1 | J2 | K | L | N | O | P,R | Q | R1a | R1b | R1b1a | R1b1b | R2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marker | M2 | V13 | V22 | M34 | M343 | V88 | M269 | M70 | |||||||||||||||||
| Iran | 566 | 0.53 | 0.18 | 1.41 | 1.77 | 1.8 | 0.88 | 0.35 | 14.00 | 2.65 | 0.8 | 8.13 | 23.86 | 0.71 | 4.00 | 2.12 | 1.41 | 0.71 | 4.01 | 17.49 | 1.24 | 0.35 | 6.18 | 1.41 | 2.12 |
Mitochondrial DNA
[edit]Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) represents the female lineage. West Eurasian mtDNA makes up over 90% of the Iranian population on average. (2013).[41]
Among them, U3b3 lineages appear to be restricted to populations of Iran and the Caucasus, while the sub-cluster U3b1a is common in the whole Near East region.[41]
In Iran outliers in the Y-chromosomes and Mitochondrial DNA gene pool are consisted of the north Iranian ethnicities, such as the Gilaks and Mazandarani's, whose genetic build up including chromosomal DNA are nearly identical to the major South Caucasian ethnicities, namely the Georgians, Armenians and Azerbaijani's. Other outliers are made by the Baloch people, representing a mere 1–2% of the total Iranian population, who have more patrilinial and mitochondrial DNA lines leaning towards northwest South Asian ethnic groups.
Levels of genetic variation in Iranian populations are comparable to the other groups from the Caucasus, Anatolia and Europe.[41]
Autosomal DNA
[edit]A large-scale genetic analyses on various ethnic groups of Iran, published in 2019, found that genetically speaking different Iranian ethnic groups, such as Persians, Kurds, Azerbaijanis, Lurs, Mazanderanis, Gilaks and Arabs, cluster tightly together, forming a single cluster known as the "CIC" (Central Iranian cluster). Compared with worldwide populations, Iranians (CIC) cluster in the center of the wider West Eurasian cluster, close to Europeans, Middle Easterners, and South-Central Asians. Iranian Arabs and Turkic-speaking Azeris genetically overlap with Iranian-speaking peoples such as Persians. The genetic substructure of Iranians was found to be low, compared with other "1000G" populations. Iranians display their highest genetic affinity with other Southwest and West Asian populations, followed by Europeans and Central Asian groups. Certain South Asians (specifically the Parsi minority) showed the highest affinity with Iranians, inline with their ethnic history. Overall, the study results suggest that the genetic makeup of the Iranian gene pool formed already about 5,000 years ago and shows high continuity since then, suggesting that they were largely unaffected by migration events from outside groups. On a global scale, Iranians display their highest affinity with other "West Eurasian" populations (such as Europeans or South Asians, but also Latin Americans), while Sub-Saharan Africans and East Asians showed large degrees of differentiation with Iranians.[42]
Languages and ethnic groups
[edit]
The largest linguistic group comprises speakers of Iranian languages, like modern Persian, Kurdish, Gilaki, Mazandarani, Luri, Talysh, and Balochi. Speakers of Turkic languages, most notably Azerbaijani Turkish spoken by Azerbaijanis, which is by far the second-most spoken language in the country, but also the Turkmen, and the Qashqai peoples, comprise a substantial minority. The remainder are primarily speakers of Semitic languages such as Arabic and Assyrian. A small number of Mandaeans in Khuzestan speak Mandaic. There are small groups using other Indo-European languages such as Armenian and Russian; also, Georgian (a member of the Kartvelian language family) is spoken in a large pocket only by those Iranian Georgians that live in Fereydan, Fereydunshahr. Most of those Georgians who live in the north Iranian provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran, Isfahan, Tehran province and the rest of Iran no longer speak the language. The Circassians in Iran, a very large minority in the past and speakers of the Circassian language, have been strongly assimilated and absorbed within the population in the past few centuries. However, significant pockets do exist spread over the country, and they are the second-largest Caucasus-derived group in the nation after the Georgians.[43][44]
Jews have had a continuous presence in Iran since the time of Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid Empire. In 1948, there were approximately 140,000–150,000 Jews living in Iran. According to the Tehran Jewish Committee, the Jewish population of Iran was (more recently) estimated at 25,000 to 35,000, of which approximately 15,000 are in Tehran with the rest residing in Hamadan, Shiraz, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Yazd, Kerman, Rafsanjan, Borujerd, Sanandaj, Tabriz, and Urmia. However, the official 2011 state census recorded only 8,756 Jews in Iran.[45]
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The CIA World Factbook (which is based on 2013 statistics) gives the following numbers for the languages spoken in Iran today: Persian, Luri, Gilaki and Mazandarani 66%; Turkish and other Turkic languages 18%; Kurdish 10%; Arabic 2%; Balochi 2%; others 2% (Armenian, Georgian, Circassian, Assyrian, etc.).[46]
According to anthropologist Brian Spooner, around half of Iran's population uses a language other than Persian at home and in informal public situations.[47]
Other sources, such as the Library of Congress, and the Encyclopedia of Islam (Leiden)[48] give Iran's ethnic groups as following: Persians 65%, Azerbaijani Turks 16%, Kurds 7%, Lurs 6%, Arabs 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmens 1%, Turkic tribal groups (e.g. Qashqai) 1%, and non-Persian, non-Turkic groups (e.g. Armenians, Georgians, Assyrians, Circassians) less than 1%.[49] For sources prior to and after 2000, see Languages and ethnicities in Iran.
Religious affiliations
[edit]
About 99% of the Iranians are Muslims; 90% belong to the Shi'a branch of Islam, the official state religion, and about 9% belong to the Sunni branch, which predominates in neighbouring Muslim countries.[12] Less than 1% non-Muslim minorities include Christians, Zoroastrians, Jews, Baháʼís, Mandaeans, and Yarsan. By far the largest group of Christians in Iran are Armenians under the Armenian Apostolic Church which has 41,385 adherents as of 2016 census.[50] There are hundreds of Christian churches in Iran.[citation needed] The Baháʼí Faith, Iran's largest non-Muslim religious minority with a population around 300,000, is not officially recognised (and therefore not included in the census results), and has been persecuted since its inception in Iran. Since the 1979 revolution the persecution of Baháʼís has increased with executions, the denial of civil rights and liberties, and the denial of access to higher education and employment.[51][52] Unofficial estimates for the Assyrian Christian population range between 20,000,[53][54] and 70,000.[55][56] The number of Iranian Mandaeans is a matter of dispute. In 2009, there were an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 Mandaeans in Iran, according to the Associated Press.[57] Whereas Alarabiya has put the number of Iranian Mandaeans as high as 60,000 in 2011.[58]
Migration
[edit]
Recent immigration
[edit]Most of the large Circassian migrational waves towards mainland Iran stem from the Safavid and Qajar era. A certain amount is from the relatively recent arrivals that migrated as the Circassians were displaced from the Caucasus in the 19th century. A Black African population exists due to historical slavery. A substantial number of Russians arrived in the early 20th century as refugees from the Russian Revolution, but their number has dwindled following the Iran crisis of 1946 and the Iranian Revolution.
In the 20th to 21st centuries, there has been limited immigration to Iran from Turkey, Iraq (especially huge numbers during the 1970s known as Moaveds), Afghanistan (mostly arriving as refugees in 1978), Lebanon (especially in Qom, though a Lebanese community has been present in the nation for centuries), India (mostly arriving temporarily during the 1950s to 1970s, typically working as doctors, engineers, and teachers), Korea (mostly in the 1970s as labour migrants), China (mostly since the 2000s working in engineering or business projects), and Pakistan, partly due to labour migrants and partly to Balochi ties across the Iranian-Pakistani border. About 200,000 Iraqis arrived as refugees in 2003,[citation needed] mostly living in refugee camps near the border; an unknown number of these has since returned to Iraq.
As of 2025, around 400,000 authorized foreigners were working in Iran, most of whom were Afghan nationals.[60]
Over the same period, there has also been substantial emigration from Iran, especially since the Iranian revolution (see Iranian diaspora, Human capital flight from Iran, Jewish exodus from Iran), especially to the United States, Canada, Germany, Israel, and Sweden.
Refugee population
[edit]Iran hosts one of the largest refugee population in the world, with more than one million refugees, mostly from Afghanistan (80%) and Iraq (10%). Since 2006, Iranian officials have been working with the UNHCR and Afghan officials for their repatriation.[61][62] Between 1979 and 1997, UNHCR spent more than US$1 billion on Afghan refugees in Pakistan but only $150 million on those in Iran. In 1999, the Iranian government estimated the cost of maintaining its refugee population at US$10 million per day, compared with the US$18 million UNHCR allocated for all of its operations in Iran in 1999.[62] As of 2016, some 300,000 work permits have been issued for foreign nationals in Iran.[63]
In mid-2025, Iran's government ordered the mass deportation of undocumented Afghans, targeting an estimated 4 million migrants and refugees residing in the country.[64] Iranian authorities expelled approximately 1.6 million undocumented Afghan migrants between January and October 2025.[65]
Emigration
[edit]The term "Iranian citizens abroad" or " Iranian/Persian diaspora" refers to the Iranian people and their children born in Iran but living outside of Iran. Migrant Iranian workers abroad remitted less than two billion dollars home in 2006.[66]
As of 2010, there are about 4–5 million Iranians living abroad, mostly in the United States, Canada, Europe, Persian Gulf States, Turkey, Australia and the broader Middle East.[17][67] According to the 2000 Census and other independent surveys, there are an estimated 1 million Iranian-Americans living in the U.S., in particular, the Los Angeles area is estimated to be host to approximately 72,000 Iranians, earning the Westwood area of LA the nickname Tehrangeles.[68] Other metropolises that have large Iranian populations include Dubai with 300,000 Iranians, Vancouver, London, Toronto, San Francisco Bay Area, Washington D.C., Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Stockholm, Berlin, Hamburg and Frankfurt. Their combined net worth is estimated to be $1.3 trillion.[69]
Note that this differs from the other Iranian peoples living in other areas of Greater Iran, who are of related ethnolinguistical family, speaking languages belonging to the Iranian languages which is a branch of Indo-European languages.
People of Iranian ancestry
[edit]Tats (Caucasus)
[edit]The Tats are an Iranian people, presently living within Azerbaijan and Russia (mainly Southern Dagestan). The Tats are part of the indigenous peoples of Iranian origin in the Caucasus.[70][71][72]
Tats use the Tat language, a southwestern Iranian language and a variety of Persian[73][74][75][76][77] Azerbaijani and Russian are also spoken. Tats are mainly Shia Muslims, with a significant Sunni Muslim minority. Likely the ancestors of modern Tats settled in South Caucasus when the Sasanian Empire (224–651) built cities and founded military garrisons to strengthen their positions in the region.[78]
Parsis
[edit]The Parsis are the close-knit Zoroastrian community based primarily in India but also found in Pakistan. Parsis are descended from Persian Zoroastrians who emigrated to the Indian subcontinent over 1,000 years ago. Indian census data (2001) records 69,601 Parsis in India, with a concentration in and around the city of Mumbai. There are approximately 8,000 Parsis elsewhere on the subcontinent, with an estimated 2,500 Parsis in the city of Karachi and approximately 50 Parsi families in Sri Lanka. The number of Parsis worldwide is estimated to be fewer than 100,000.[79]
Iranis
[edit]In Pakistan and India, the term "Irani" has come to denote Iranian Zoroastrians who have migrated to Pakistan and India within the last two centuries, as opposed to most Parsis who arrived in India over 1,000 years ago. Many of them moved during the Qajar era, when persecution of Iranian Zoroastrians was rampant. They are culturally and linguistically closer to the Zoroastrians of Iran. Unlike the Parsis, they speak a Dari dialect, the language spoken by the Iranian Zoroastrians in Yazd and Kerman.[80]
Their last names often resemble modern Iranian names. Irani is a common surname among them. In India they are mostly located in modern-day Mumbai while in Pakistan they are mostly located in modern-day Karachi. In both Pakistan and India, they are famous for their restaurants and tea-houses.[81] Some, such as Ardeshir Irani, have also become very famous in cinema.
Ajam (Bahrain)
[edit]The "Ajam" are an ethnic community of Bahrain, of Iranian origin. They have traditionally been merchants living in specific quarters of Manama and Muharraq. The Iranians who adhere to Shiite sect of Islam are Ajam, and they are different from the Huwala. Ajams are also a large percentage of the populace in UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman.
In addition to this, many names of ancient villages in Bahrain are of Persian origin. It is believed that these names were given during the Safavid rule of Bahrain (1501–1722). i.e. Karbabad, Salmabad, Karzakan, Duraz, Barbar, which indicates that the history of Ajams is much older.
Huwala
[edit]Huwala are the descendants of Persians and Arab-Persians who belong to the Sunni sect of Islam.[82] Huwala migrated from Ahvaz in Iran to the Persian Gulf in the seventeenth and eighteenth century.[82][83]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Iran Census Results 2016 Archived 23 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine United Nations
- ↑ Asia-Pacific Population Journal, United Nations. "A New Direction in Population Policy and Family Planning in the Islamic Republic of Iran". Archived from the original on 14 February 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2006.
- ↑ "Iran Population (2025)". Worldometer.
- ↑ "International Programs". census.gov. Archived from the original on 29 April 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- ↑ Iran News, Payvand.com. "Iran's population growth rate falls to 1.5 percent: UNFP". Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2006.
- ↑ "International News". ABC News. 30 November 2012. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ↑ "Islamic Republic News Agency". January 2025. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ↑ "Iran". Iran economy: Social indicators & living standards. Economist Intelligence Unit. 23 June 2009.
- ↑ "Central bank: Income equality improved in Iran". Tehran Times. Archived from the original on 15 November 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ↑ CO2 Emissions from Fuel Combustion Archived 12 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine Population 1971–2008 (pdf Archived 6 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine pages 83–85) IEA (OECD/ World Bank) original population ref e.g. in IEA Key World Energy Statistics 2010 page 57)
- ↑ UNDP.org Archived 22 November 2009 at the Wayback Machine Table H
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "CIA – The World Factbook". Cia.gov. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ↑ "The World Factbook". cia.gov. 6 May 2019. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021.
- ↑ "Iran's fertility rate alarmingly low". Tehran Times. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Iran Census Results 2011 Archived 23 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine United Nations
- ↑ "Demographic Yearbook – 2020". New York: United Nations Statistics Division. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Statistical Center of Iran". Migrationinformation.org. Archived from the original on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ↑ "Statistical Center of Iran > Home".
- ↑ "Major Agglomerations of the World – Population Statistics and Maps". citypopulation.de. 13 September 2018. Archived from the original on 13 September 2018.
- ↑ Template:Cite UN WPP
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 "United Nations Statistics Division – Demographic and Social Statistics". United Nations. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
- ↑ ".:: National Organization for Civil Registration-Home ::". sabteahval.ir. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
- ↑ "Census 2016".
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- ↑ "کاهش موالید در ایران؛ غربالگریهای دوران بارداری در کانون توجه". اعتمادآنلاین (in Persian). 20 May 2025. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedourworldindata.org - ↑ Saleh, Alam (1 March 2016). "Iran's cynical pandering to its ethnic minorities will do it no good". The Conversation. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
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- ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 37.3 37.4 "The Peoples of Iran". 1939. in Field, Henry (1939). "Contributions to the anthropology of Iran". Publications of the Field Museum of Natural History. Anthropological Series. Publication. Field Museum of Natural History. 29 (1). doi:10.5962/bhl.title.3355. JSTOR 29782234.
- ↑ Regueiro, M.; Cadenas, A.M.; Gayden, T.; Underhill, P.A.; Herrera, R.J. (2006). "Iran: Tricontinental Nexus for Y-Chromosome Driven Migration". Human Heredity. 61 (3): 132–143. doi:10.1159/000093774. PMID 16770078.
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- ↑ Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East Archived 14 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine Facts on File, Incorporated ISBN 143812676X p 141
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- ↑ "Jewish woman brutally murdered in Iran over property dispute". The Times of Israel. 28 November 2012. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
A government census published earlier this year indicated there were a mere 8,756 Jews left in Iran
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- ↑ Pilkington, Hilary; Yemelianova, Galina, eds. (2003). Islam in Post-Soviet Russia. p. 27. doi:10.4324/9780203217696. ISBN 978-1-134-43187-8.
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The contemporary Tats are the descendants of an Iranian-speaking population sent out of Persia by the dynasty of the Sasanids in the fifth to sixth centuries.
- ↑ Masti︠u︡gina, T. M.; Perepelkin, Lev (1996). An Ethnic History of Russia: Pre-Revolutionary Times to the Present. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-313-29315-3.
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Tat- Persian spoken in the East Caucasus
- ↑ V. Minorsky, "Tat" in M. Th. Houtsma et al., eds., The Encyclopædia of Islam: A Dictionary of the Geography, Ethnography and Biography of the Muhammadan Peoples, 4 vols. and Suppl., Leiden: Late E.J. Brill and London: Luzac, 1913–38.
- ↑ V. Minorsky, "Tat" in M. Th. Houtsma et al., eds., The Encyclopædia of Islam: A Dictionary of the Geography, Ethnography and Biography of the Muhammadan Peoples, 4 vols. and Suppl., Leiden: Late E.J. Brill and London: Luzac, 1913–38. Excerpt: Like most Persian dialects, Tati is not very regular in its characteristic features"
- ↑ Kerslake, C. (January 2010). "Turkic-Iranian Contact Areas: Historical and Linguistic Aspects * Edited by LARS JOHANSON and CHRISTIANE BULUT". Journal of Islamic Studies. 21 (1): 147–151. doi:10.1093/jis/etp078.
It is a comparison of the verbal systems of three varieties of Persian—standard Persian, tat, tajik
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It embraces Gilani, Ta- lysh, Tabari, Kurdish, Gabri, and the Tati Persian of the Caucasus, all but the last belonging to the north-western group of Iranian language.
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