Birth rate in Iran

Iran: Birth rate was 12.95 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
12.95 births per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 2.7%
World rank
121st
of 236 countries
All-time high
52.26 births per 1,000 people
in 1958
All-time low
12.95 births per 1,000 people
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Birth rate in Iran, 1950–2023

1020304050195019862023

Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.

Analysis

The most recent figure for birth rate in Iran is 12.95 births per 1,000 people, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.

That represents a change of down 2.7% on the previous year and down 30.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, birth rate in Iran peaked at 52.26 births per 1,000 people in 1958 and was at its lowest, 12.95 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.

That places Iran 121st out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.

Birth rate in Iran, year by year

Annual values for Birth rate in Iran, 1950 to 2023.
Year births per 1,000 people Change
1950 50.76 births per 1,000 people
1951 50.85 births per 1,000 people +0.2%
1952 51.07 births per 1,000 people +0.4%
1953 51.17 births per 1,000 people +0.2%
1954 51.16 births per 1,000 people -0.0%
1955 51.65 births per 1,000 people +0.9%
1956 51.96 births per 1,000 people +0.6%
1957 52.2 births per 1,000 people +0.5%
1958 52.26 births per 1,000 people +0.1%
1959 52.17 births per 1,000 people -0.2%
1960 50.99 births per 1,000 people -2.3%
1961 49.82 births per 1,000 people -2.3%
1962 48.77 births per 1,000 people -2.1%
1963 47.66 births per 1,000 people -2.3%
1964 46.69 births per 1,000 people -2.0%
1965 46.27 births per 1,000 people -0.9%
1966 46.02 births per 1,000 people -0.5%
1967 45.78 births per 1,000 people -0.5%
1968 45.31 births per 1,000 people -1.0%
1969 44.69 births per 1,000 people -1.4%
1970 43.59 births per 1,000 people -2.5%
1971 42.36 births per 1,000 people -2.8%
1972 40.89 births per 1,000 people -3.5%
1973 40.1 births per 1,000 people -1.9%
1974 39.97 births per 1,000 people -0.3%
1975 40.26 births per 1,000 people +0.7%
1976 41.39 births per 1,000 people +2.8%
1977 42.24 births per 1,000 people +2.1%
1978 43.39 births per 1,000 people +2.7%
1979 44.7 births per 1,000 people +3.0%
1980 45.14 births per 1,000 people +1.0%
1981 44.24 births per 1,000 people -2.0%
1982 45.21 births per 1,000 people +2.2%
1983 44.68 births per 1,000 people -1.2%
1984 43.92 births per 1,000 people -1.7%
1985 42.39 births per 1,000 people -3.5%
1986 40.71 births per 1,000 people -4.0%
1987 38.82 births per 1,000 people -4.6%
1988 37.02 births per 1,000 people -4.6%
1989 35.19 births per 1,000 people -5.0%
1990 33.47 births per 1,000 people -4.9%
1991 31.18 births per 1,000 people -6.8%
1992 28.33 births per 1,000 people -9.1%
1993 25.72 births per 1,000 people -9.2%
1994 21.96 births per 1,000 people -14.6%
1995 19.54 births per 1,000 people -11.0%
1996 17.74 births per 1,000 people -9.2%
1997 16.62 births per 1,000 people -6.3%
1998 16.21 births per 1,000 people -2.5%
1999 16.07 births per 1,000 people -0.8%
2000 15.97 births per 1,000 people -0.6%
2001 15.94 births per 1,000 people -0.2%
2002 15.95 births per 1,000 people +0.1%
2003 15.88 births per 1,000 people -0.4%
2004 16.18 births per 1,000 people +1.9%
2005 16.39 births per 1,000 people +1.3%
2006 16.73 births per 1,000 people +2.1%
2007 16.97 births per 1,000 people +1.5%
2008 17.09 births per 1,000 people +0.7%
2009 17.16 births per 1,000 people +0.4%
2010 17.28 births per 1,000 people +0.7%
2011 17.67 births per 1,000 people +2.3%
2012 18.14 births per 1,000 people +2.6%
2013 18.53 births per 1,000 people +2.2%
2014 18.83 births per 1,000 people +1.6%
2015 18.88 births per 1,000 people +0.3%
2016 18.79 births per 1,000 people -0.5%
2017 18.05 births per 1,000 people -3.9%
2018 16.66 births per 1,000 people -7.7%
2019 14.92 births per 1,000 people -10.5%
2020 14.01 births per 1,000 people -6.1%
2021 13.69 births per 1,000 people -2.3%
2022 13.31 births per 1,000 people -2.7%
2023 12.95 births per 1,000 people -2.7%

Iran compared with similar countries

  • Iran's 12.95 births per 1,000 people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 13.97 births per 1,000 people, 93% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • Iran's 12.95 births per 1,000 people is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 17.02 births per 1,000 people, 76% of the median. (23 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 51.53 births per 1,000 people 50.76 births per 1,000 people 52.26 births per 1,000 people 10
1960s 47.2 births per 1,000 people 44.69 births per 1,000 people 50.99 births per 1,000 people 10
1970s 41.89 births per 1,000 people 39.97 births per 1,000 people 44.7 births per 1,000 people 10
1980s 41.73 births per 1,000 people 35.19 births per 1,000 people 45.21 births per 1,000 people 10
1990s 22.69 births per 1,000 people 16.07 births per 1,000 people 33.47 births per 1,000 people 10
2000s 16.42 births per 1,000 people 15.88 births per 1,000 people 17.16 births per 1,000 people 10
2010s 17.77 births per 1,000 people 14.92 births per 1,000 people 18.88 births per 1,000 people 10
2020s 13.49 births per 1,000 people 12.95 births per 1,000 people 14.01 births per 1,000 people 4

Countries ranked near Iran

  1. 118 Seychelles 13.63 births per 1,000 people compare
  2. 119 Brunei 13.59 births per 1,000 people compare
  3. 120 Colombia 13.47 births per 1,000 people compare
  4. 122 North Korea 12.95 births per 1,000 people compare
  5. 123 Northern Mariana Islands 12.92 births per 1,000 people compare
  6. 124 Bhutan 12.66 births per 1,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Iran

All data for Iran →

Frequently asked questions

What is birth rate in Iran?
Birth rate in Iran was 12.95 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest birth rate recorded in Iran?
The highest recorded value was 52.26 births per 1,000 people in 1958.
What is the lowest birth rate recorded in Iran?
The lowest recorded value was 12.95 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
How does Iran rank for birth rate?
Iran ranks 121st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is birth rate rising or falling in Iran?
Over the last ten years it is down 30.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Iran data come from?
The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Birth rate in Iran. Statizoid, drawing on UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/crude-birth-rate/iran-islamic-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Birth rate
Unit
births per 1,000 people
Source
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed

Number of live births in a year per 1,000 people in the population.