Share of population living in rural areas in Iran, Islamic Republic of
Iran, Islamic Republic of: Share of population living in rural areas was 15.3% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in 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
The most recent figure for share of population living in rural areas in Iran, Islamic Republic of is 15.3%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of down 8.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 41.1% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 15.3%, in 2020.
That places Iran, Islamic Republic of 182nd out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 41.1% | — |
| 1955 | 38.5% | -6.3% |
| 1960 | 35.6% | -7.4% |
| 1965 | 32.5% | -8.8% |
| 1970 | 29.4% | -9.3% |
| 1975 | 26.7% | -9.5% |
| 1980 | 25.1% | -6.0% |
| 1985 | 23.2% | -7.6% |
| 1990 | 21.8% | -5.9% |
| 1995 | 20.2% | -7.1% |
| 2000 | 19.0% | -6.2% |
| 2005 | 17.9% | -5.8% |
| 2010 | 16.7% | -6.4% |
| 2015 | 15.9% | -5.2% |
| 2020 | 15.3% | -3.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 39.8% | 38.5% | 41.1% | 2 |
| 1960s | 34.0% | 32.5% | 35.6% | 2 |
| 1970s | 28.1% | 26.7% | 29.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 24.1% | 23.2% | 25.1% | 2 |
| 1990s | 21.0% | 20.2% | 21.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 18.4% | 17.9% | 19.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 16.3% | 15.9% | 16.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 15.3% | 15.3% | 15.3% | 1 |
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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 rural areas in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 15.3% 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 rural areas recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The highest recorded value was 41.1% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.3% in 2020.
- How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 182nd out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.