Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Iran
Iran: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) was 77.65 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
77.65 years
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
72nd
of 215 countries
All-time high
77.65 years
in 2023
All-time low
50.22 years
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Life expectancy at birth, total in Iran, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, life expectancy at birth, total in Iran stood at 77.65 years. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in Iran peaked at 77.65 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 50.22 years, in 1970.
Iran ranks 72nd of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Iran, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 50.22 years | — |
| 1971 | 51.12 years | +1.8% |
| 1972 | 51.73 years | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 52.94 years | +2.3% |
| 1974 | 53.86 years | +1.7% |
| 1975 | 54.82 years | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 55.77 years | +1.7% |
| 1977 | 56.66 years | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 56.04 years | -1.1% |
| 1979 | 58.45 years | +4.3% |
| 1980 | 58.37 years | -0.1% |
| 1981 | 56.62 years | -3.0% |
| 1982 | 57.63 years | +1.8% |
| 1983 | 58.52 years | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 60.88 years | +4.0% |
| 1985 | 61.54 years | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 62.14 years | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 62.69 years | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 63.26 years | +0.9% |
| 1989 | 65.31 years | +3.3% |
| 1990 | 64.07 years | -1.9% |
| 1991 | 66.23 years | +3.4% |
| 1992 | 66.65 years | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 67.04 years | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 67.49 years | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 67.9 years | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 68.33 years | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 68.65 years | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 69.21 years | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 69.69 years | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 70.17 years | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 70.62 years | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 71.11 years | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 70.46 years | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 72.04 years | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 72.45 years | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 72.89 years | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 73.3 years | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 73.68 years | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 74.04 years | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 74.39 years | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 74.72 years | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 75.04 years | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 75.35 years | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 75.64 years | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 75.91 years | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 76.16 years | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 76.4 years | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 76.62 years | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 76.86 years | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 74.14 years | -3.5% |
| 2021 | 73.75 years | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 76.8 years | +4.1% |
| 2023 | 77.65 years | +1.1% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 77.65 years is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 74.01 years, 1.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Iran's 77.65 years is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 76.51 years, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 54.16 years | 50.22 years | 58.45 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 60.69 years | 56.62 years | 65.31 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 67.53 years | 64.07 years | 69.69 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 72.08 years | 70.17 years | 74.04 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 75.71 years | 74.39 years | 76.86 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 75.59 years | 73.75 years | 77.65 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iran
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)
- Population growth rate -0.673 (2100)
- Population density 49.33 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 3.09 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, total in Iran?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in Iran was 77.65 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 77.65 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.22 years in 1970.
- How does Iran rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- Iran ranks 72nd out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release