Fertility rate: births per woman in Iran
Iran: Fertility rate: births per woman was 1.7 live births per woman in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
1.7 live births per woman
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
140th
of 236 countries
All-time high
7.57 live births per woman
in 1959
All-time low
1.7 live births per woman
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Fertility rate: births per woman in Iran, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in live births per woman.
Analysis
In 2023, fertility rate: births per woman in Iran stood at 1.7 live births per woman. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate: births per woman in Iran peaked at 7.57 live births per woman in 1959 and was at its lowest, 1.7 live births per woman, in 2023.
That places Iran 140th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fertility rate: births per woman in Iran, year by year
| Year | live births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 6.97 live births per woman | — |
| 1951 | 6.98 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1952 | 7 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1953 | 7.03 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1954 | 7.05 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1955 | 7.15 live births per woman | +1.5% |
| 1956 | 7.25 live births per woman | +1.4% |
| 1957 | 7.35 live births per woman | +1.4% |
| 1958 | 7.46 live births per woman | +1.4% |
| 1959 | 7.57 live births per woman | +1.5% |
| 1960 | 7.52 live births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1961 | 7.46 live births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1962 | 7.4 live births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1963 | 7.32 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1964 | 7.24 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1965 | 7.22 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 7.21 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1967 | 7.19 live births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1968 | 7.12 live births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1969 | 7.01 live births per woman | -1.6% |
| 1970 | 6.8 live births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1971 | 6.55 live births per woman | -3.7% |
| 1972 | 6.26 live births per woman | -4.5% |
| 1973 | 6.06 live births per woman | -3.1% |
| 1974 | 5.97 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1975 | 5.95 live births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 6.07 live births per woman | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 6.18 live births per woman | +1.9% |
| 1978 | 6.34 live births per woman | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 6.55 live births per woman | +3.2% |
| 1980 | 6.63 live births per woman | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 6.62 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 6.59 live births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1983 | 6.53 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1984 | 6.43 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1985 | 6.24 live births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1986 | 6.01 live births per woman | -3.7% |
| 1987 | 5.72 live births per woman | -4.9% |
| 1988 | 5.43 live births per woman | -5.0% |
| 1989 | 5.17 live births per woman | -4.8% |
| 1990 | 4.93 live births per woman | -4.6% |
| 1991 | 4.57 live births per woman | -7.4% |
| 1992 | 4.1 live births per woman | -10.3% |
| 1993 | 3.67 live births per woman | -10.4% |
| 1994 | 3.24 live births per woman | -11.7% |
| 1995 | 2.85 live births per woman | -12.1% |
| 1996 | 2.54 live births per woman | -10.9% |
| 1997 | 2.32 live births per woman | -8.6% |
| 1998 | 2.19 live births per woman | -5.7% |
| 1999 | 2.09 live births per woman | -4.6% |
| 2000 | 2 live births per woman | -4.3% |
| 2001 | 1.92 live births per woman | -4.1% |
| 2002 | 1.84 live births per woman | -4.3% |
| 2003 | 1.8 live births per woman | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 1.78 live births per woman | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 1.76 live births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 1.75 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 1.75 live births per woman | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 1.74 live births per woman | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 1.74 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 1.75 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 1.79 live births per woman | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 1.85 live births per woman | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 1.91 live births per woman | +3.3% |
| 2014 | 1.98 live births per woman | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 2.02 live births per woman | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 2.05 live births per woman | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 2.02 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 1.92 live births per woman | -5.1% |
| 2019 | 1.77 live births per woman | -8.0% |
| 2020 | 1.7 live births per woman | -3.7% |
| 2021 | 1.71 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 1.7 live births per woman | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 1.7 live births per woman | -0.5% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 1.7 live births per woman is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.82 live births per woman, 93% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Iran's 1.7 live births per woman is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 2.52 live births per woman, 67% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 7.18 live births per woman | 6.97 live births per woman | 7.57 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1960s | 7.27 live births per woman | 7.01 live births per woman | 7.52 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.27 live births per woman | 5.95 live births per woman | 6.8 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.14 live births per woman | 5.17 live births per woman | 6.63 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.25 live births per woman | 2.09 live births per woman | 4.93 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.81 live births per woman | 1.74 live births per woman | 2 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.91 live births per woman | 1.75 live births per woman | 2.05 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.7 live births per woman | 1.7 live births per woman | 1.71 live births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 137 Armenia 1.71 live births per woman compare
- 138 Romania 1.71 live births per woman compare
- 139 Barbados 1.71 live births per woman compare
- 141 Falkland Islands 1.69 live births per woman compare
- 142 Azerbaijan 1.67 live births per woman compare
- 143 New Zealand 1.67 live births per woman compare
More population data for Iran
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.6632 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.91 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.6632 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.5902 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 99,007 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.4819 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5653 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Population density 49.33 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 3.09 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate: births per woman in Iran?
- Fertility rate: births per woman in Iran was 1.7 live births per woman in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 7.57 live births per woman in 1959.
- What is the lowest fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.7 live births per woman in 2023.
- How does Iran rank for fertility rate: births per woman?
- Iran ranks 140th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate: births per woman rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 Fertility rate: births per woman. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total fertility rate: the average number of children a woman would have if she experienced the year's age-specific birth rates throughout her childbearing years.