Population growth rate in Iran
Iran: Population growth rate was 1.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Population growth rate in Iran, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population growth rate in Iran is 1.1%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.5% on the previous year and down 16.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth rate in Iran peaked at 6.7% in 1981 and was at its lowest, -0.8%, in 1993.
Iran ranks 106th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Population growth rate in Iran, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.5% | — |
| 1951 | 2.5% | +0.2% |
| 1952 | 2.5% | +0.8% |
| 1953 | 2.5% | -0.8% |
| 1954 | 2.5% | +2.4% |
| 1955 | 2.6% | +4.1% |
| 1956 | 2.7% | +2.7% |
| 1957 | 2.7% | -0.6% |
| 1958 | 2.7% | +1.6% |
| 1959 | 2.9% | +7.4% |
| 1960 | 3.0% | +1.7% |
| 1961 | 3.0% | +2.3% |
| 1962 | 3.0% | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 3.1% | +2.3% |
| 1964 | 3.1% | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 3.2% | +1.2% |
| 1966 | 3.1% | -2.7% |
| 1967 | 3.0% | -1.7% |
| 1968 | 3.0% | -1.9% |
| 1969 | 3.0% | +2.5% |
| 1970 | 3.0% | -0.1% |
| 1971 | 2.9% | -3.0% |
| 1972 | 2.9% | -1.0% |
| 1973 | 2.9% | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 3.0% | +1.2% |
| 1975 | 3.1% | +3.0% |
| 1976 | 3.0% | -3.4% |
| 1977 | 3.2% | +8.9% |
| 1978 | 3.3% | +2.4% |
| 1979 | 3.6% | +7.9% |
| 1980 | 3.7% | +3.1% |
| 1981 | 6.7% | +83.3% |
| 1982 | 3.9% | -41.8% |
| 1983 | 3.9% | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 3.7% | -5.2% |
| 1985 | 3.7% | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 3.7% | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 3.5% | -6.0% |
| 1988 | 3.0% | -14.0% |
| 1989 | 2.9% | -4.4% |
| 1990 | 3.0% | +3.9% |
| 1991 | 2.5% | -16.7% |
| 1992 | 1.5% | -39.6% |
| 1993 | -0.8% | -152.0% |
| 1994 | 1.2% | -248.8% |
| 1995 | 1.1% | -8.2% |
| 1996 | 1.1% | +3.9% |
| 1997 | 1.3% | +17.7% |
| 1998 | 1.5% | +12.0% |
| 1999 | 1.4% | -3.7% |
| 2000 | 1.6% | +11.1% |
| 2001 | 1.5% | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 0.1% | -92.1% |
| 2003 | 2.1% | +1608.2% |
| 2004 | 2.2% | +5.3% |
| 2005 | 2.2% | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 2.1% | -6.9% |
| 2007 | 1.2% | -42.3% |
| 2008 | 1.2% | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 1.3% | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 1.2% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 1.2% | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 1.3% | +4.7% |
| 2013 | 1.3% | +4.1% |
| 2014 | 1.4% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 1.4% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 1.5% | +9.2% |
| 2017 | 1.4% | -7.6% |
| 2018 | 1.2% | -15.4% |
| 2019 | 1.0% | -15.5% |
| 2020 | 0.6% | -44.2% |
| 2021 | 1.1% | +101.3% |
| 2022 | 1.3% | +16.5% |
| 2023 | 1.1% | -13.5% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 1.1% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.6%, 2.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Iran's 1.1% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.6%, 70% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth rate in Iran changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | +1608.2% | 0.1% | 2.1% |
| 1994 | +248.8% | -0.8% | 1.2% |
| 1993 | -152.0% | 1.5% | -0.8% |
| 2021 | +101.3% | 0.6% | 1.1% |
| 2002 | -92.1% | 1.5% | 0.1% |
| 1981 | +83.3% | 3.7% | 6.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.1% | 3.0% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.1% | 2.9% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.9% | 2.9% | 6.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.4% | -0.8% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.5% | 0.1% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.3% | 1.0% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.0% | 0.6% | 1.3% | 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)
- 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 population growth rate in Iran?
- Population growth rate in Iran was 1.1% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population growth rate recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 6.7% in 1981.
- What is the lowest population growth rate recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.8% in 1993.
- How does Iran rank for population growth rate?
- Iran ranks 106th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population growth rate rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.2%. 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 Population growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual rate at which the population is growing, expressed as a percentage.