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
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); 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.
Compared with earlier readings it is 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
| 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
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
- 118 Seychelles 13.63 births per 1,000 people compare
- 119 Brunei 13.59 births per 1,000 people compare
- 120 Colombia 13.47 births per 1,000 people compare
- 122 North Korea 12.95 births per 1,000 people compare
- 123 Northern Mariana Islands 12.92 births per 1,000 people compare
- 124 Bhutan 12.66 births per 1,000 people compare
More population data for Iran
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.5902 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.6632 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.7% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 3.09 million people (2100)
- Population density 49.33 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5653 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.4819 Percent per annum (2030)
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 Human Mortality Database (2025); 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 Human Mortality Database (2025); 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total number of births per 1,000 people in a given year.