This statistic shows Iran's total population from 2019 to 2022, with projections up until 2029. In 2022, the total population of Iran amounted to approximately 84.9 million inhabitants. The population of Iran Iran is the second largest nation in the Middle East and one of the founding members of the United Nations, NAM, OIC and OPEC. With a rapidly growing total population of just under 78 million inhabitants, it is the world’s seventeenth most populous nation. Iran’s total population has grown by 10 million inhabitants over the past decade. In 2010, Iran’s population grew by around 1.6 percent in comparison to the previous year, which is partially due to due the high fertility rate. In 2010, the fertility rate of Iran was at almost 2 percent. Surprisingly, Iran does not have a high life expectancy. In 2010, the life expectancy in Iran was just 73 years. Looking at the age structure of Iran's population shows that the vast majority, more than 71 percent of Iran inhabitants, were aged between 15 and 64 the same year, while only around 5.2 percent of the population in Iran were aged over 65. Therefore, it is assumed that the growing total population is due to an increase in the young population in Iran and immigrants. People migrating from surrounding countries, such as Afghanistan and Iraq, have increased Iran’s total population drastically.

Den samlede befolkning i Iran blev estimeret til 85,3 millioner mennesker i 2023, ifølge de seneste folketællingsdata og prognoser fra Trading Economics. Aktuelle værdier, historiske data, prognoser, statistik, diagrammer og økonomisk kalender - Iran - Befolkning.

Chart and table of Iran population from 1950 to 2025. United Nations projections are also included through the year 2100.

In 1800, the population of the modern-day territory of Iran was approximately 6.3 million. This figure would see modest growth throughout the 19th century, as several wars and a mass famine in 1870-1871 (modern estimates put its death toll at around 1.5 million people) were largely balanced out by a surge in migration to Iran; this migration came as the Russian Empire expanded into the Caucuses, and caused a wave of refugees to flee southwards to avoid forced expulsion and ethnic cleansing in the North Caucasus region, particularly from 1864 onwards. As a result, the population of Iran reached ten million by the turn of the 20th century.

Twentieth century growth Iran’s population would begin to grow rapidly in the 20th century, as the discovery of oil in the country in 1908 led to an economic boom, and the socio-economic reforms implemented under Reza Shah would see a number of medical and healthcare advancements across the country. Although unpopular with religious fundamentalists, Reza Shah's reforms had long-term influence on the demographic development of Iran, even after his abdication in 1941. Following the Second World War, Iran became increasingly westernized and developed relatively strong relations with the U.S.; however, western influence, economic imbalances and the oppression of the Mohammed Reza Shah's regime became the driving forces behind the Iranian Revolution, which was one of the most significant moments in the history of the region.

Growth after the Revolution The 1979 Iranian Revolution saw the removal of the Shah and an end to Iran's so called westernization; the monarchy was replaced by an Islamic, theocratic regime led by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. During Khomeini's decade in charge he oversaw Iran's transition into an Islamic Republic, which implemented radical political and cultural changes in the country, and this coincided with an increased population growth rate in the 1980s. This growth was promoted by the Iranian government, who encouraged a baby boom during the Iran–Iraq War between 1980 and 1988, as part of an effort to increase future Iranian military manpower. As a result of this strategy, the population of Iran would grow from approximately 38.6 million in 1980 to over 56 million just a decade later. Following the implementation of a UN-brokered ceasefire in 1988, population growth in Iran would slow, as economic sanctions and government implementation of family planning policies would lead to a drop in fertility. Population growth has continued steadily into the 21st century, however, and in 2020, Iran is estimated to have a population of 84 million.

WorldPop produces different types of gridded population count datasets, depending on the methods used and end application. Please make sure you have read our Mapping Populations overview page before choosing and downloading a dataset.

Datasets are available to download in Geotiff and ASCII XYZ format at a resolution of 30 arc-seconds (approximately 1km at the equator)

-Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020: Population density datasets for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020 – derived from the corresponding Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 population count datasets by dividing the number of people in each pixel by the pixel surface area. These are produced using the unconstrained top-down modelling method.
-Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 UN adjusted: Population density datasets for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020 – derived from the corresponding Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 population UN adjusted count datasets by dividing the number of people in each pixel, adjusted to match the country total from the official United Nations population estimates (UN 2019), by the pixel surface area. These are produced using the unconstrained top-down modelling method.

Data for earlier dates is available directly from WorldPop.

WorldPop (www.worldpop.org - School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton; Department of Geography and Geosciences, University of Louisville; Departement de Geographie, Universite de Namur) and Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University (2018). Global High Resolution Population Denominators Project - Funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1134076). https://dx.doi.org/10.5258/SOTON/WP00674

Iran IR: Population: Male: Ages 15-19: % of Male Population data was reported at 6.794 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 6.977 % for 2016. Iran IR: Population: Male: Ages 15-19: % of Male Population data is updated yearly, averaging 10.487 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 13.649 % in 2002 and a record low of 6.794 % in 2017. Iran IR: Population: Male: Ages 15-19: % of Male Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Iran – Table IR.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Male population between the ages 15 to 19 as a percentage of the total male population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Zanjan, Iran metro area from 1950 to 2025. United Nations population projections are also included through the year 2035.

Iran IR: Population: Total data was reported at 81,162,788.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 80,277,428.000 Person for 2016. Iran IR: Population: Total data is updated yearly, averaging 53,926,366.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 81,162,788.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 21,906,903.000 Person in 1960. Iran IR: Population: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Iran – Table IR.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Sum; Relevance to gender indicator: disaggregating the population composition by gender will help a country in projecting its demand for social services on a gender basis.

Iran IR: Net Migration data was reported at -274,998.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of -400,001.000 Person for 2012. Iran IR: Net Migration data is updated yearly, averaging 21,958.500 Person from Dec 1962 (Median) to 2017, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,019,420.000 Person in 1982 and a record low of -2,096,003.000 Person in 1992. Iran IR: Net Migration data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Iran – Table IR.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Net migration is the net total of migrants during the period, that is, the total number of immigrants less the annual number of emigrants, including both citizens and noncitizens. Data are five-year estimates.; ; United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Sum;

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Esfahan, Iran metro area from 1950 to 2025. United Nations population projections are also included through the year 2035.

This statistic shows the age structure of Iran inhabitants from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, about 22.84 percent of inhabitants were aged 0 to 14 years, while approximately 69.25 percent were aged 15 to 64, and 7.92 percent of Iran inhabitants were aged 65 or older.

Iran IR: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 15-64 data was reported at 71.310 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 71.612 % for 2016. Iran IR: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 15-64 data is updated yearly, averaging 53.329 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 72.298 % in 2012 and a record low of 51.057 % in 1988. Iran IR: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 15-64 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Iran – Table IR.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 15 to 64 as a percentage of the total female population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average; Relevance to gender indicator: Knowing how many girls, adolescents and women there are in a population helps a country in determining its provision of services.

Iran (Islamic Republic of) population density for 400m H3 hexagons.

Built from Kontur Population: Global Population Density for 400m H3 Hexagons Vector H3 hexagons with population counts at 400m resolution.

Fixed up fusion of GHSL, Facebook, Microsoft Buildings, Copernicus Global Land Service Land Cover, Land Information New Zealand, and OpenStreetMap data.

This scatter chart displays urban land area (km²) against population (people) and is filtered where the country is Iran. The data is about countries per year.

In 2020, around 98.5 percent of the Iranian population identified as Muslim. Around 81 percent identified as Shia Muslims in the same year, while a much smaller share followed the Sunni Muslim religion. In Iran, most Sunni Muslims belong to ethnic minority groups.

Iran’s demographics
The total population in Iran has grown steadily and is expected to surpass 90 million in 2028. The vast majority of the population in the country was between 15 and 64 years of age. At the same time, the share of people aged above 64 increased in recent years and constituted over seven percent of the total population.

Muslim population worldwide

In Europe, it was estimated that the Muslim population could triple by the middle of the century. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia had the largest share of Muslims as a proportion of its population. On the African continent, the highest number of Muslims was estimated in Nigeria, with close to a hundred million Islam followers. In the United States, less than one percent of the population identified as Muslims.

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Kermanshah, Iran metro area from 1950 to 2025. United Nations population projections are also included through the year 2035.

Iran (Islamic Republic Of) administrative division with aggregated population. Built from Kontur Population: Global Population Density for 400m H3 Hexagons on top of OpenStreetMap administrative boundaries data. Enriched with HASC codes for regions taken from Wikidata.
Global version of boundaries dataset: Kontur Boundaries: Global administrative division with aggregated population

The share of urban population in Iran saw no significant changes in 2023 in comparison to the previous year 2022 and remained at around 77.26 percent. Nevertheless, 2023 still represents a peak in the share in Iran. A country's urbanization rate refers to the share of the total population living in an urban setting. International comparisons of urbanization rates may be inconsistent, due to discrepancies between definitions of what constitutes an urban center (based on population size, area, or space between dwellings, among others).Find more key insights for the share of urban population in countries like Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

WorldPop produces different types of gridded population count datasets, depending on the methods used and end application. Please make sure you have read our Mapping Populations overview page before choosing and downloading a dataset.


Bespoke methods used to produce datasets for specific individual countries are available through the WorldPop Open Population Repository (WOPR) link below. These are 100m resolution gridded population estimates using customized methods ("bottom-up" and/or "top-down") developed for the latest data available from each country. They can also be visualised and explored through the woprVision App.
The remaining datasets in the links below are produced using the "top-down" method, with either the unconstrained or constrained top-down disaggregation method used. Please make sure you read the Top-down estimation modelling overview page to decide on which datasets best meet your needs. Datasets are available to download in Geotiff and ASCII XYZ format at a resolution of 3 and 30 arc-seconds (approximately 100m and 1km at the equator, respectively):

- Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 ( 1km resolution ): Consistent 1km resolution population count datasets created using unconstrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020.
- Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 ( 100m resolution ): Consistent 100m resolution population count datasets created using unconstrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020.
- Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 UN adjusted ( 100m resolution ): Consistent 100m resolution population count datasets created using unconstrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020 and adjusted to match United Nations national population estimates (UN 2019)
-Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 UN adjusted ( 1km resolution ): Consistent 1km resolution population count datasets created using unconstrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020 and adjusted to match United Nations national population estimates (UN 2019).
-Unconstrained global mosaics 2000-2020 ( 1km resolution ): Mosaiced 1km resolution versions of the "Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020" datasets.
-Constrained individual countries 2020 ( 100m resolution ): Consistent 100m resolution population count datasets created using constrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for 2020.
-Constrained individual countries 2020 UN adjusted ( 100m resolution ): Consistent 100m resolution population count datasets created using constrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for 2020 and adjusted to match United Nations national population estimates (UN 2019).

Older datasets produced for specific individual countries and continents, using a set of tailored geospatial inputs and differing "top-down" methods and time periods are still available for download here: Individual countries and Whole Continent.

Data for earlier dates is available directly from WorldPop.

WorldPop (www.worldpop.org - School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton; Department of Geography and Geosciences, University of Louisville; Departement de Geographie, Universite de Namur) and Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University (2018). Global High Resolution Population Denominators Project - Funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1134076). https://dx.doi.org/10.5258/SOTON/WP00645

Iran IR: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 0-14 data was reported at 23.372 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 23.333 % for 2016. Iran IR: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 0-14 data is updated yearly, averaging 43.269 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 45.823 % in 1987 and a record low of 23.008 % in 2012. Iran IR: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 0-14 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Iran – Table IR.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 0 to 14 as a percentage of the total female population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average; Relevance to gender indicator: Knowing how many girls, adolescents and women there are in a population helps a country in determining its provision of services.