Iran Demographics

Population of Iran (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Iran

Iran Population
93,168,497
see live
Yearly Change
+0.81%
Global Share
1.1%
Global Rank
17

Median Age

The median age in Iran is 34.5 years (2026).

Fertility in Iran

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
1.66
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Iran

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
78.2
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
80.2
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
76.4
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Iran


Infant Mortality
8.5
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
10.1
(per 1,000 live births)


Iran Urban Population

Currently, 77.7% of the population of Iran is urban (72,422,939 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Iran is 61 people per km² (158 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 1,531,595 km² (591,352 sq. miles).

Largest Cities and Towns in Iran

The 30 largest of 298 cities and towns, ranked by population at the census of September 24, 2016 (by Statistical Centre of Iran).

RankCity or TownPopulation
1Tehran8,693,706
2Mashhad3,001,184
3Isfahan1,961,260
4Karaj1,592,492
5Shiraz1,565,572
6Tabriz1,558,693
7Qom1,201,158
8Ahvaz1,184,788
9Kermanshah946,651
10Urmia736,224
11Rasht679,995
12Zahedan587,730
13Hamadan554,406
14Kerman537,718
15Yazd529,673
16Ardabil529,374
17Bandar Abbas526,648
18Arak520,944
19Eslamshahr448,129
20Zanjan430,871
21Sanandaj412,767
22Qazvin402,748
23Khoram Abad373,416
24Gorgan350,676
25Sari309,820
26Shahriar309,607
27Qods309,605
28Kashan304,487
29Malard281,027
30Dezful264,709
See all 298 cities and towns in Iran

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.