Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Iran, Islamic Republic of
Iran, Islamic Republic of: Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas was 60.6% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Iran, Islamic Republic of stood at 60.6%. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is up 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 60.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 19.4%, in 1950.
That places Iran, Islamic Republic of 35th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 19.4% | — |
| 1955 | 22.5% | +16.0% |
| 1960 | 26.6% | +17.9% |
| 1965 | 31.0% | +16.9% |
| 1970 | 35.4% | +14.1% |
| 1975 | 41.0% | +15.6% |
| 1980 | 44.6% | +8.9% |
| 1985 | 49.5% | +10.9% |
| 1990 | 51.9% | +4.9% |
| 1995 | 53.5% | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 56.3% | +5.3% |
| 2005 | 57.4% | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 58.8% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 59.7% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 60.6% | +1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 21.0% | 19.4% | 22.5% | 2 |
| 1960s | 28.8% | 26.6% | 31.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 38.2% | 35.4% | 41.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 47.0% | 44.6% | 49.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 52.7% | 51.9% | 53.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 56.9% | 56.3% | 57.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 59.2% | 58.8% | 59.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 60.6% | 60.6% | 60.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Iran, Islamic Republic of
- 32 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 62.1% compare
- 33 Bahamas 62.0% compare
- 34 Dominican Republic 61.1% compare
- 36 Curaçao 59.6% compare
- 37 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 58.9% compare
- 38 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 57.4% compare
More population data for Iran, Islamic Republic of
- 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 share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 60.6% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The highest recorded value was 60.6% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.4% in 1950.
- How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 35th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas rising or falling in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran, Islamic Republic of data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in cities. Cities are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.