Iran People - 2023

Population

87,590,873 (2023 est.)

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Nationality

noun: Iranian(s)

adjective: Iranian

Ethnic groups

Persian, Azeri, Kurd, Lur, Baloch, Arab, Turkmen, and Turkic tribes

Languages

Persian Farsi (official), Azeri and other Turkic dialects, Kurdish, Gilaki and Mazandarani, Luri, Balochi, Arabic

major-language sample(s):
چکیده نامه جهان، منبعی ضروری برای کسب اطلاعات کلی جهان (Persian)

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Muslim (official) 99.6% (Shia 90-95%, Sunni 5-10%), other (includes Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Christian) 0.3%, unspecified 0.2% (2016 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 23.51% (male 10,533,573/female 10,060,225)

15-64 years: 69.82% (male 31,140,117/female 30,014,613)

65 years and over: 6.67% (2023 est.) (male 2,723,298/female 3,119,047)

total dependency ratio: 45.3

youth dependency ratio: 34.6

elderly dependency ratio: 10.7

potential support ratio: 9.3 (2021 est.)

Median age

total: 31.7 years

male: 31.5 years

female: 32 years (2020 est.)

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Population growth rate

0.93% (2023 est.)

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Birth rate

14.79 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

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Death rate

5.2 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

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Net migration rate

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

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Population distribution

population is concentrated in the north, northwest, and west, reflecting the position of the Zagros and Elburz Mountains; the vast dry areas in the center and eastern parts of the country, around the deserts of the Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut, have a much lower population density

Urbanization

urban population: 77.3% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.32% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

9.500 million TEHRAN (capital), 3.368 million Mashhad, 2.258 million Esfahan, 1.721 million Shiraz, 1.661 million Tabriz, 1.594 million Karaj (2023)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female

total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

22 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

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Infant mortality rate

total: 14.58 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 15.7 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 13.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth

total population: 75.44 years

male: 74.07 years

female: 76.87 years (2023 est.)

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Total fertility rate

1.92 children born/woman (2023 est.)

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Gross reproduction rate

0.94 (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 99.8% of population

rural: 98.1% of population

total: 99.4% of population

unimproved: urban: 0.2% of population

rural: 1.9% of population

total: 0.6% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure

5.3% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density

1.58 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Hospital bed density

1.6 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: intermediate (2023)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

25.8% (2016)

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Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

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Tobacco use

total: 13.6% (2020 est.)

male: 24.1% (2020 est.)

female: 3.1% (2020 est.)

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Children under the age of 5 years underweight

4.1% (2010/11)

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Currently married women (ages 15-49)

70.3% (2023 est.)

Education expenditures

3.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

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Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 88.7%

male: 92.4%

female: 88.7% (2021)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 15 years

male: 15 years

female: 15 years (2020)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 27.2%

male: 24%

female: 41.7% (2021 est.)

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NOTE: The information regarding Iran on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Iran 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Iran 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.