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Demographics Of Iran

Oh, you want me to dredge through this… data. Fine. Just don't expect me to enjoy it. It’s like staring into a void and cataloging the dust motes. But, if you insist.

This article is about the inhabitants of the modern country of Iran. Just to be clear, if you’re looking for the broader group of Indo-European peoples, that’s a different rabbit hole entirely – see Iranian peoples. Don't confuse the two. It's… tiresome.

Demographics of Iran

The population of Iran has experienced a rather dramatic surge, particularly in the latter half of the 20th century. By 2016, it had swelled to approximately 80 million. As of November 2024, the number has nudged up to around 91.5 million. But don't get too excited; the birth rate has been taking a nosedive. Projections suggest the growth will continue to decelerate, stabilizing somewhere north of 100 million by 2050. Back in 2012, half the population was under 35. Now, as of January 2025, the average age hovers around 32. Still young enough to be annoying, I suppose.

In 2009, there were about 15.3 million households, averaging 4.8 people each. Families were pulling in roughly 11.8 million rials (a pittance, really, about $960) per month on average in 2012.

The OECD/World Bank paints a picture of population growth in Iran from 1990 to 2008 at a staggering 17.6 million, a 32% increase. The literacy rate? It was 80% in 2002, creeping up to 85% by 2016. The fertility rate, however, has plummeted to 1.44 children per woman, well below the natural replacement level of 2.1. A sign of the times, or just sheer exhaustion? Probably both.

Population

Let’s look at the numbers, shall we? According to the 2016 census, Iran's population clocked in at 79.9 million. That's a fourfold increase since 1956. The period between 1976 and 1986 saw an almost 4% annual population growth – a veritable explosion. But, as mentioned, fertility has declined, bringing the growth rate down to a more sedate 1.2% between 2011 and 2016.

Here’s a breakdown from the census results:

Census date Population Average annual growth (%) Population density/km² Proportion urban (%) Household size
1956-11-01 18,954,704 — 12 31.4 —
1966-11-01 25,785,210 3.13 16 37.5 —
1976-11-01 33,708,744 2.71 20 47.0 5.02
1986-11-22 49,445,010 3.91 30 54.0 5.11
1996-11-01 60,055,488 2.0 37 61.0 4.84
2006-11-01 70,495,782 1.62 43 68.5 4.03
2011-11-01 75,149,669 1.29 46 71.4 3.55
2016-11-01 79,926,270 1.24 49 74.0 3.3

And the age distribution, because everyone loves dissecting age groups:

Age group Number (2006) Percentage (2006) Number (2011) Percentage (2011)
Total 70,495,782 100 75,149,669 100
0–4 5,463,978 7.75 6,232,552 8.29
5–9 5,509,057 7.81 5,657,791 7.53
10–14 6,708,591 9.52 5,671,435 7.55
15–19 8,726,761 12.38 6,607,043 8.79
20–24 9,011,422 12.78 8,414,497 11.20
25–29 7,224,952 10.25 8,672,654 11.54
30–34 5,553,531 7.88 6,971,924 9.28
35–39 4,921,124 6.98 5,571,018 7.41
40–44 4,089,158 5.80 4,906,749 6.53
45–49 3,522,761 5.00 4,030,481 5.36
50–54 2,755,420 3.91 3,527,408 4.69
55–59 1,887,981 2.68 2,680,119 3.57
60–64 1,464,452 2.08 1,862,907 2.48
65–69 1,197,550 1.70 1,343,731 1.79
70–74 1,119,318 1.59 1,119,968 1.49
75–79 694,122 0.98 913,531 1.22
80+ 645,601 0.92 919,539 1.22
Unclear – – 46,322 0.06

And for the women, a breakdown of reproductive age:

Number (2006) Proportion (2006) Number (2011) Proportion (2011)
Children 0–14 17,681,629 17,561,778
People 15–49 43,049,709 0.4107 45,174,366 0.3888
Women 15–49 ~21,524,855 0.8215 ~22,587,183 0.7775

As of July 2020, the population breakdown by sex and age looked like this:

Age Group Male Female Total %
Total 42,484,186 41,553,414 84,037,600 100
0–4 3,751,160 3,584,640 7,335,800 8.73
5–9 3,644,823 3,453,109 7,097,932 8.45
10–14 3,195,837 3,043,160 6,238,997 7.42
15–19 2,850,201 2,723,069 5,573,270 6.63
20–24 2,817,236 2,715,743 5,532,979 6.58
25–29 3,398,106 3,322,934 6,721,040 8.00
30–34 4,246,233 4,166,179 8,412,412 10.01
35–39 4,226,366 4,147,771 8,374,137 9.96
40–44 3,375,662 3,271,031 6,646,693 7.91
45–49 2,687,892 2,591,386 5,279,278 6.28
50–54 2,321,552 2,270,429 4,591,981 5.46
55–59 1,841,337 1,847,872 3,689,209 4.39
60–64 1,510,299 1,557,919 3,068,218 3.65
65–69 1,058,091 1,138,129 2,196,220 2.61
70–74 640,098 748,890 1,388,988 1.65
75–79 415,623 459,393 875,016 1.04
80+ 503,670 511,760 1,015,430 1.21

And the age structure in percentages:

Age group Male Female Total Percent
0–14 10,591,820 10,080,909 20,672,729 24.60
15–64 29,274,884 28,614,333 57,889,217 68.88
65+ 2,617,482 2,858,172 5,475,654 6.52

Here's how the age distribution has shifted over time:

Year 0–14 15–64 65+
1976 44.5 52 3.5
1985 45.5 51.5 3
1996 39.5 56.1 4.3
2006 25.1 (17,681,629) 69.7 (49,157,562) 5.2 (3,656,591)
2011 23.4 (17,561,778) 70.9 (53,297,122) 5.7 (4,290,769)
2016 24.0 (19,192,665) 69.9 (55,862,087) 6.1 (4,871,518)

Now, let's get granular with provincial populations. Honestly, the detail is… excessive. But here it is:

Table 9 – Population and Average Annual Growth by Provinces: 2006 and 2011

Province 2006 2011 Average annual growth
Alborz 2,076,991 2,412,513 3.04
Ardabil 1,228,155 1,248,488 0.33
Bushehr 886,267 1,032,949 3.11
Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari 857,910 895,263 0.86
East Azerbaijan 3,603,456 3,724,620 0.66
Fars 4,336,878 4,596,658 1.17
Gilan 2,404,861 2,480,874 0.62
Golestan 1,617,087 1,777,014 1.90
Hamadan 1,703,267 1,758,268 0.64
Hormozgan 1,403,674 1,578,183 2.37
Ilam 545,787 557,599 0.43
Isfahan 4,559,256 4,879,312 1.37
Kerman 2,652,413 2,938,988 2.07
Kermanshah 1,879,385 1,945,227 0.69
Khuzestan 4,274,979 4,531,720 1.17
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad 634,299 658,629 0.76
Kurdistan 1,440,156 1,493,645 0.73
Lorestan 1,716,527 1,754,243 0.44
Markazi 1,351,257 1,413,959 0.91
Mazandaran 2,922,432 3,073,943 1.02
North Khorasan 811,572 867,727 1.35
Qazvin 1,143,200 1,201,565 1.00
Qom 1,046,737 1,151,672 1.93
Razavi Khorasan 5,593,079 5,994,402 1.40
Semnan 589,742 631,218 1.37
Sistan and Baluchestan 2,405,742 2,534,327 1.05
South Khorasan 636,420 662,534 0.81
Tehran 11,345,375 12,183,391 1.44
West Azerbaijan 2,873,459 3,080,576 1.40
Yazd 990,818 1,074,428 1.63
Zanjan 964,601 1,015,734 1.04
Total 70,495,782 75,149,669 1.29

*Note: The population data for Alborz and Tehran in 2006 were calculated based on the 2011 figures.

And the provincial percentages:

Table 10 – Population Percentages by Province: 2006 and 2011

Province 2006 2011
Alborz 2.95 3.21
Ardabil 1.74 1.66
Bushehr 1.26 1.37
Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari 1.22 1.19
East Azerbaijan 5.11 4.96
Fars 6.15 6.12
Gilan 3.41 3.30
Golestan 2.29 2.36
Hamadan 2.42 2.34
Hormozgan 1.99 2.10
Ilam 0.77 0.74
Isfahan 6.47 6.49
Kerman 3.76 3.91
Kermanshah 2.67 2.59
Khuzestan 6.06 6.03
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad 0.90 0.88
Kurdistan 2.04 1.99
Lorestan 2.43 2.33
Markazi 1.92 1.88
Mazandaran 4.15 4.09
North Khorasan 1.15 1.15
Qazvin 1.62 1.60
Qom 1.48 1.53
Razavi Khorasan 7.93 7.98
Semnan 0.84 0.84
Sistan and Baluchestan 3.41 3.37
South Khorasan 0.90 0.88
Tehran 16.09 16.21
West Azerbaijan 4.08 4.10
Yazd 1.41 1.43
Zanjan 1.37 1.35
Total 100 100

Urban population

Iran is experiencing one of the steepest urban growth rates globally, according to the UN. By 2015, about 73.4% of the population lived in urban areas, a significant jump from 27% in 1950.

Here are the eight most populous cities:

Rank City Province Population (City) Population (Metro)
1 Tehran Tehran 8,693,706 14,700,000
2 Mashhad Razavi Khorasan 3,001,184 3,100,000
3 Isfahan Isfahan 1,961,260 3,100,000
4 Karaj Alborz 1,592,492 2,500,000
5 Shiraz Fars 1,565,572 1,700,000
6 Tabriz East Azarbaijan 1,588,693 1,760,000
7 Qom Qom 1,201,158 1,240,000
8 Ahvaz Khuzestan 1,184,788 1,320,000

Vital statistics

UN estimates (2022 estimates)

Population (on 1 July) Live births per year Deaths per year Natural change per year Crude birth rate ¹ Crude death rate ¹ Natural change ¹ Crude migration rate ¹ Total fertility rate ² Infant mortality rate ³
1950 844,000 469,000 375,000 50.1 27.9 22.3 — 6.95 209.0
1951 863,000 481,000 382,000 50.1 27.9 22.2 0.3 6.95 207.3
1952 883,000 485,000 398,000 50.1 27.5 22.6 -0.2 6.96 203.7
1953 904,000 490,000 414,000 50.1 27.2 23.0 -0.6 6.98 200.5
1954 925,000 490,000 434,000 50.1 26.6 23.6 -1.0 7.01 197.2
1955 946,000 491,000 455,000 50.1 26.0 24.1 -0.8 7.04 192.9
1956 968,000 494,000 474,000 50.0 25.5 24.5 -0.8 7.08 189.5
1957 996,000 497,000 499,000 50.2 25.1 25.2 -1.3 7.18 185.8
1958 1,022,000 494,000 528,000 50.3 24.3 26.0 -1.9 7.28 181.6
1959 1,046,000 494,000 551,000 50.2 23.7 26.5 -1.2 7.38 177.8
1960 1,049,000 493,000 556,000 49.0 23.1 26.0 0.5 7.30 174.0
1961 1,053,000 489,000 564,000 48.0 22.3 25.7 1.4 7.23 170.2
1962 1,069,000 500,000 569,000 47.4 22.2 25.2 2.3 7.22 167.3
1963 1,082,000 485,000 597,000 46.6 20.9 25.7 2.4 7.18 162.8
1964 1,098,000 483,000 615,000 45.9 20.2 25.7 3.1 7.13 159.1
1965 1,120,000 482,000 637,000 45.5 19.6 25.9 3.2 7.11 155.4
1966 1,145,000 480,000 664,000 45.1 18.9 26.2 2.6 7.08 151.6
1967 1,174,000 480,000 694,000 44.9 18.4 26.6 1.5 7.05 147.6
1968 1,195,000 487,000 708,000 44.5 18.1 26.4 1.2 6.97 144.0
1969 1,220,000 474,000 746,000 44.2 17.2 27.0 0.8 6.90 138.9
1970 1,229,000 468,000 761,000 43.2 16.5 26.8 1.5 6.71 134.1
1971 1,239,000 459,000 780,000 42.4 15.7 26.7 1.4 6.51 128.9
1972 1,237,000 456,000 782,000 41.1 15.1 26.0 1.8 6.25 123.8
1973 1,258,000 440,000 818,000 40.6 14.2 26.4 1.7 6.11 118.2
1974 1,295,000 433,000 862,000 40.6 13.6 27.0 1.7 6.04 113.0
1975 1,339,000 428,000 911,000 40.8 13.0 27.8 1.4 6.01 107.7
1976 1,416,000 425,000 991,000 41.8 12.5 29.3 -0.2 6.14 102.3
1977 1,474,000 421,000 1,053,000 42.3 12.1 30.2 -0.5 6.20 96.6
1978 1,550,000 446,000 1,104,000 43.1 12.4 30.7 0.4 6.33 92.4
1979 1,645,000 411,000 1,234,000 44.2 11.0 33.2 -0.7 6.53 85.1
1980 1,708,000 422,000 1,286,000 44.4 11.0 33.4 0.8 6.58 79.5
1981 1,756,000 463,000 1,293,000 44.1 11.6 32.4 15.9 6.56 74.3
1982 1,886,000 467,000 1,419,000 44.4 11.0 33.4 14.2 6.55 69.3
1983 1,930,000 458,000 1,472,000 43.9 10.4 33.5 1.2 6.51 65.1
1984 1,966,000 420,000 1,546,000 43.1 9.2 33.9 1.2 6.44 61.5
1985 1,974,000 415,000 1,559,000 41.8 8.8 33.0 1.7 6.26 58.2
1986 1,957,000 409,000 1,547,000 40.0 8.4 31.7 2.0 6.01 55.3
1987 1,915,000 407,000 1,507,000 37.9 8.1 29.9 2.3 5.69 52.6
1988 1,872,000 399,000 1,473,000 36.0 7.7 28.3 1.8 5.39 49.8
1989 1,828,000 358,000 1,470,000 34.1 6.7 27.4 1.2 5.11 47.4
1990 1,788,000 395,000 1,393,000 32.5 7.2 25.3 13.2 4.86 46.5
1991 1,790,000 359,000 1,431,000 30.9 6.2 24.7 13.2 4.51 43.1
1992 1,697,000 358,000 1,340,000 28.5 6.0 22.5 0.8 4.08 41.3
1993 1,579,000 352,000 1,227,000 26.1 5.8 20.3 -13.9 3.68 39.8
1994 1,367,000 340,000 1,027,000 22.8 5.7 17.1 -13.2 3.27 38.2
1995 1,244,000 335,000 908,000 20.4 5.5 14.9 -1.6 2.89 36.8
1996 1,145,000 333,000 811,000 18.6 5.4 13.2 -0.2 2.57 35.4
1997 1,081,000 334,000 747,000 17.3 5.4 12.0 2.1 2.33 34.0
1998 1,064,000 336,000 727,000 16.8 5.3 11.5 3.9 2.20 32.5
1999 1,065,000 333,000 732,000 16.6 5.2 11.4 4.3 2.10 31.0
2000 1,071,000 337,000 735,000 16.4 5.2 11.2 5.1 2.02 29.5
2001 1,082,000 344,000 738,000 16.3 5.2 11.1 5.9 1.94 28.1
2002 1,086,000 345,000 742,000 16.1 5.1 11.0 -1.3 1.87 26.4
2003 1,081,000 370,000 712,000 16.0 5.5 10.5 -1.3 1.82 25.6
2004 1,107,000 345,000 762,000 16.1 5.0 11.1 4.9 1.80 23.4
2005 1,134,000 348,000 786,000 16.2 5.0 11.2 4.8 1.78 21.9
2006 1,173,000 349,000 824,000 16.5 4.9 11.6 3.7 1.77 20.6
2007 1,221,000 350,000 872,000 16.9 4.8 12.1 2.3 1.77 19.4
2008 1,265,000 369,000 896,000 17.3 5.0 12.2 1.4 1.77 18.2
2009 1,304,000 381,000 923,000 17.5 5.1 12.4 1.1 1.77 17.2
2010 1,337,000 385,000 953,000 17.8 5.1 12.6 1.3 1.77 16.3
2011 1,388,000 381,000 1,008,000 18.2 5.0 13.2 -0.5 1.80 15.5
2012 1,464,000 378,000 1,085,000 18.9 4.9 14.0 -1.3 1.89 14.8
2013 1,526,000 385,000 1,141,000 19.4 4.9 14.5 0 1.96 14.2
2014 1,579,000 391,000 1,188,000 19.8 4.9 14.9 3.9 2.04 13.6
2015 1,583,000 395,000 1,188,000 19.4 4.8 14.6 7.8 2.05 13.1
2016 1,584,000 394,000 1,190,000 19.0 4.7 14.3 3.9 2.07 12.6
2017 1,572,000 396,000 1,176,000 18.6 4.7 13.9 0.3 2.07 12.2
2018 1,475,000 404,000 1,071,000 17.2 4.7 12.5 0.5 1.97 11.8
2019 1,308,000 421,000 886,000 15.1 4.9 10.2 -0.4 1.77 11.4
2020 1,243,000 486,000 757,000 14.2 5.6 8.7 -0.1 1.71 11.0
2021 1,204,000 566,000 638,000 13.7 6.4 7.3 -0.1 1.69 10.7
2022 1,151,000 531,000 620,000 13 6 7 0.1 1.7 10
2023 1,057,948 403,202 654,746 12.4 4.7 7.7 - 1.52 -
2024 979,923 458,848 521,075 11.4 5.3 6.1 - 1.44 -

¹ Per 1000; ² Number of children per woman; ³ Per 1000 births.

Registered births and deaths

This data is a bit… messy. Registrations weren't always timely, especially in the early 80s.

Year Average population Live births Deaths Natural change Crude birth rate (per 1000) Crude death rate (per 1000) Natural change (per 1000) Total Fertility Rate
1959 864,846 176,268 688,578
1960 876,206 171,040 705,166
1961 902,260 159,371 742,889
1962 957,500 165,488 792,012
1963 920,967 135,912 785,055
1964 1,118,911 145,174 973,737
1965 1,139,663 171,940 967,723
1966 1,101,606 178,991 922,615
1967 1,019,373 179,159 840,214
1968 1,037,022 174,201 862,821
1969 1,091,513 167,660 923,853
1970 1,189,203 163,430 1,025,773
1971 1,231,227 149,325 1,081,902
1972 1,138,843 153,568 985,275
1973 1,199,777 155,081 1,044,696
1974 1,248,256 149,785 1,098,471
1975 1,339,267 148,543 1,190,724
1976 1,401,426 155,981 1,245,445
1977 1,399,977 146,369 1,253,608
1978 1,369,597 127,587 1,242,010
1979 1,689,908 142,402 1,547,506
1980 2,450,308 162,176 2,288,132
1981 2,421,611 178,099 2,243,512
1982 2,101,894 200,614 1,901,280
1983 2,203,448 207,228 1,996,220
1984 2,067,803 186,440 1,881,363
1985 2,033,285 190,061 1,843,224
1986 2,259,055 199,511 2,059,544
1987 1,832,089 204,230 1,627,859
1988 1,944,149 238,390 1,705,759
1989 1,784,811 199,645 1,585,166
1990 1,722,977 217,597 1,505,380
1991 1,582,931 217,637 1,365,294
1992 1,433,243 188,647 1,244,596
1993 1,388,017 208,161 1,179,856
1994 1,426,784 3.50
1995 1,205,372 3.22
1996 1,187,903 2.95
1997 1,179,260 2.73
1998 1,185,639 551,345 634,294 2.53
1999 62,738,000 1,177,557 374,838 802,719 18.8 6.0 12.8 2.36
2000 63,658,000 1,095,165 382,674 712,491 17.2 6.0 11.2 2.19
2001 64,592,000 1,110,836 421,525 689,311 17.2 6.5 10.7 2.09
2002 65,540,000 1,122,104 337,237 784,867 17.1 5.1 12.0 2.01
2003 66,480,000 1,171,573 368,518 803,055 17.6 5.5 12.1 1.92
2004 67,477,000 1,154,368 355,213 799,155 17.1 5.3 11.8 1.87
2005 69,672,000 1,239,408 363,723 875,685 18.1 5.3 12.8 1.82
2006 70,554,000 1,253,912 408,566 845,346 17.8 5.8 12.0 1.79
2007 71,336,000 1,286,716 412,736 873,980 18.0 5.8 12.2 1.81
2008 72,120,000 1,300,166 417,798 882,368 17.9 5.8 12.2 1.80
2009 72,924,000 1,348,546 393,514 955,032 18.3 5.3 13.0 1.78
2010 73,762,000 1,363,542 441,042 922,500 18.3 5.9 12.4 1.77
2011 74,634,000 1,382,229 422,133 960,096 18.3 5.6 12.7 1.74
2012 75,539,000 1,421,689 367,512 1,054,177 18.7 4.8 13.9 1.73
2013 76,481,000 1,471,834 372,279 1,099,555 19.1 4.8 14.3 1.70
2014 77,465,000 1,534,362 446,333 1,088,029 19.8 5.8 14.0 1.68
2015 78,492,000 1,570,219 374,827 1,195,392 20.0 4.8 15.2 2.16
2016 79,926,000 1,528,053 388,792 1,139,261 19.2 4.9 14.3 2.11
2017 80,960,000 1,487,923 369,751 1,118,172 19.0 4.6 14.4 2.09
2018 81,865,000 1,366,519 376,731 989,788 16.9 4.6 12.3 1.95
2019 82,585,000 1,196,132 395,319 800,813 14.4 4.8 9.6 1.77
2020 83,220,000 1,114,128 511,881 602,247 13.4 6.2 7.5 1.65
2021 83,935,000 1,116,212 544,517 571,695 13.2 6.4 6.8 1.61
2022 1,075,381 395,727 679,654 12.7 4.7 8.0 1.55(e)
2023 1,057,948 403,202 654,746 12.4 4.7 7.7 1.52(e)
2024 85,961,000 979,923 458,848 521,075 11.4 5.3 6.1 1.44

Total fertility rate

In 1960, Iran's fertility rate was a rather alarming 7.3 children per woman. By 2021, it had plummeted to 1.7. Studies, like one from the Australian National University, point to a complex interplay of micro and macro factors – education, economics, culture. Individual choices, family income, societal shifts – it all plays a part. The trend shows women are opting for smaller families, citing the burden of many children, both financially and personally. Delayed marriage and a conscious effort to limit family size are also contributing. This decline, of course, can lead to a shrinking and aging population, which doesn't exactly thrill the economy. In response, Iranian policymakers have… intervened, restricting access to contraception and fertility reduction methods. Charming.

Life expectancy

Life expectancy in Iran has seen changes since 1950. It's also broken down by gender, which I suppose is relevant to some.

Sex ratio

  • At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  • 0–14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  • 15–24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  • 25–54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  • 55–64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
  • 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
  • Total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

  • Total population: 75.06 years
  • Male: 73.71 years
  • Female: 76.48 years (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

This section feels… incomplete. Like a sketch without shading. It mentions Iran is a "mosaic of diverse ethnic groups," which is a rather polite way of saying it's not just one homogenous blob. Apparently, there was a survey in 1939 that cataloged ethnic groups by district. The detail is almost suffocating.

Here's a tiny glimpse of that 1939 survey, just to give you a taste of the obsessive record-keeping:

District Locality Sedentary population (approx.) Chief town Ethnic Group
Abadeh-i-Iqlid Northern Fars 25,000 Abadeh Chiefly Lashani and Cheharrahi
Abadeh-i-Tashk Near Daryacheh-i-Tashk 6,500 Abadeh-i-Tashk Chiefly Lashani and Cheharrahi
Abraj West of Mahin 1,000 N/A Turkics and Persians
Aftar Southwest of Jahrom 3,000 Abi-i-Garm Turkics and Persians
'Alamarvdakht Southern Fars 4,000 'Alamarvdakht Chiefly Behbehani Lurs with some Arab blood
Angali Northeast of Bushire 2,000 Mahmud Shahi Chiefly Behbehani Lurs with some Arab blood
Arbaeh, Mahals-i South of Firuzabad 1,000 Hangam Turkics from Simakan
Ardakan Northwest of Shiraz 6,000 Ardakan Turkics from Simakan
Arisinjan Northeast of Shiraz 5,000 Arisinjan Turkics from Simakan
Asir Near the 'Alamarvdakht 5,500 Asir Turkics from Simakan
Baiza, Dasht-i Northwest of Shiraz 1,200 Bandar Dilam Turkics from Simakan
Bandar Dilam Northwest coast of Fars 10,000 Bandar Dilam Turkics from Simakan
Bawanat Northeastern Fars 12,000 Bawanat Turkics from Simakan
Bidshahr (or Juwun-i-Bidshahr) South of Jahrum Bid_Shahr Dashtis
Borazjan Northeast of Bushire 6,500 Borazjan Dashtis
Chah Kutah East of Bushire 1,500 Chah Kutah Dashtis
Chehar Dungeh, Sarhad-i- Northern Fars 3,000 Asupas Dashtis
Dalaki Northeast of Bushire N/A Dalaki Dashtis
Darab Southeastern Fars 10,000 Darab Dashtis
Dashti Southeast of Bushire 20,000 Khurmuj Dashtis
Dashtistan East of Bushire 15,000 Borazjan Immigrants from Dashti or Shiraz
Dizkurd Northwestern Fars 500 N/A Circassians
Istehbanat South of Niriz 4,000 Istehbanat Mainly Turkic and Lurs
Jahrum South central Fars 7,500 Jahrum Mainly Turkic and Lurs
Jireh East of Bushire 2,500 Jireh Mainly Turkic and Lurs

And then there are coastal groups and specific regions:

Genetics

This is where it gets… interesting. Or, at least, more complicated.

Y-chromosome DNA (the male line): The Iranian Y-chromosome pool is dominated by haplogroups like R1 (25%), J2 (23%), G (14%), J1 (8%), and E1b1b (5%). These account for over 85%.

Haplogroup Iran (%)
R1 25%
J2 23%
G 14%
J1 8%
E1b1b 5%
L 4%
Q 4%
R1a 17.49%
R1b 6.18%
R1b1a 1.24%
R1b1b 0.35%
R2 6.18%
T 2.12%

Mitochondrial DNA (the female line): West Eurasian mtDNA makes up over 90% of the Iranian population. Certain lineages, like U3b3, seem to be specific to Iran and the Caucasus, while U3b1a is more widespread in the Near East.

Oddly enough, Gilaks and Mazandarani's in the north show genetic similarities to South Caucasian groups like Georgians, Armenians, and Azerbaijani's. The Baloch people, on the other hand, lean more towards northwest South Asian groups. Genetic variation levels in Iran are comparable to those in the Caucasus, Anatolia, and Europe.

Autosomal DNA (overall genetic makeup): Large-scale studies from 2019 show that various Iranian ethnic groups – Persians, Kurds, Azerbaijanis, Lurs, Mazanderanis, Gilaks, and Arabs – cluster together tightly, forming what's called the "Central Iranian Cluster" (CIC). Globally, they sit in the center of the West Eurasian cluster, close to Europeans, Middle Easterners, and South-Central Asians. Even Iranian Arabs and Turkic-speaking Azeris genetically overlap with Iranian-speaking peoples. The genetic substructure within Iran is surprisingly low. Their closest affinities are with Southwest and West Asian populations, then Europeans and Central Asians. Even some South Asians, like the Parsi minority, show a strong link. It seems the Iranian gene pool solidified around 5,000 years ago and has remained remarkably stable since, largely untouched by major external migrations.

Languages and ethnic groups

A map, color-coded by ethnic groups, shows Persians in the center, with Azerbaijanis, Gilaks, Kurds, and Talysh in the northwest. Lurs, Qashqai, and Arabs are in the southwest. Turkmens and more Kurds are in the northeast, while Balochis occupy the southeast.

The main linguistic groups:

The Circassians in Iran, once numerous, have largely assimilated, though pockets remain. They are the second-largest Caucasus-derived group after Georgians.

Jews have been present since the Achaemenid Empire. While numbers have dwindled significantly, estimates range from 25,000-35,000 (with only 8,756 recorded in the 2011 census).

According to the CIA World Factbook (2013 stats):

Anthropologist Brian Spooner notes that about half of Iran's population uses a language other than Persian at home.

Other sources, like the Library of Congress and the Encyclopedia of Islam, list ethnic groups as:

Religious affiliations

Around 99% of Iranians are Muslim, with 90% adhering to Shi'a Islam, the state religion. About 9% are Sunni. Non-Muslim minorities, less than 1%, include Christians, Zoroastrians, Jews, Baháʼís, Mandaeans, and Yarsan. The Baháʼí Faith, despite being the largest non-Muslim minority (around 300,000), is not officially recognized and has faced significant persecution since its inception, especially after the 1979 revolution. Christian numbers are significant, with Armenians forming the largest group under the Armenian Apostolic Church. Estimates for Assyrians vary wildly. The number of Mandaeans is also debated.

Population of Iran according to religion 1956–2016

Census Muslims (# / %) Christians (# / %) Zoroastrians (# / %) Jews (# / %) Other (# / %) Unknown (# / %)
1956 18,654,127 / 98.4% 114,528 / 0.6% 15,723 / 0.1% 65,232 / 0.3% 59,256 / 0.3% 45,838 / 0.2%
1966 24,771,922 / 98.8% 149,427 / 0.6% 19,816 / 0.1% 60,683 / 0.2% 77,075 / 0.3%
1976 33,396,908 / 99.1% 168,593 / 0.5% 21,400 / 0.1% 62,258 / 0.2% 59,583 / 0.2%
2006 70,097,741 / 99.4% 109,415 / 0.2% 19,823 / 0.0% 9,252 / 0.0% 54,234 / 0.1% 205,317 / 0.3%
2011 74,682,938 / 99.4% 117,704 / 0.2% 25,271 / 0.0% 8,756 / 0.0% 49,101 / 0.1% 265,899 / 0.4%
2016 79,598,054 / 99.6% 130,158 / 0.2% 23,109 / 0.0% 9,826 / 0.0% 40,551 / 0.1% 124,572 / 0.2%

Migration

Net Iranian migration shows a generally negative trend, meaning more people leave than arrive.

Recent immigration is a complex tapestry:

As of 2025, about 400,000 authorized foreigners were working in Iran, predominantly Afghan nationals.

Simultaneously, there's been substantial emigration, especially post-Iranian revolution, with significant populations in the United States, Canada, Germany, Israel, and Sweden.

Refugee population

Iran hosts one of the largest refugee populations globally, over a million, mostly from Afghanistan (80%) and Iraq (10%). Repatriation efforts are ongoing. The cost of maintaining this population is substantial.

Emigration

The " Iranian diaspora" is a vast network. In 2006, remittances from Iranian workers abroad totaled less than two billion dollars. By 2010, an estimated four to five million Iranians lived abroad, with large communities in the US, Canada, Europe, Persian Gulf States, Turkey, Australia, and the Middle East. Iranian-Americans alone number around 1 million, with a significant concentration in the Los Angeles area, earning it the nickname Tehrangeles. Other cities with large Iranian populations include Dubai, Vancouver, London, Toronto, San Francisco Bay Area, Washington D.C., Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Stockholm, Berlin, Hamburg, and Frankfurt. Their combined net worth is estimated at $1.3 trillion. It's important to distinguish this from other Iranian peoples who speak related Iranian languages.

People of Iranian ancestry

  • Tats (Caucasus): An Iranian people in Azerbaijan and Russia. They speak Tat language, a variety of Persian, and also Azerbaijani and Russian. They are predominantly Shia Muslims, with a Sunni minority. Their ancestors likely settled in the Caucasus during the Sassanid Empire.
  • Parsis: A Zoroastrian community primarily in India and Pakistan, descended from Persian Zoroastrians who emigrated over 1,000 years ago. Their numbers are estimated to be fewer than 100,000 worldwide.
  • Iranis: Iranian Zoroastrians who migrated to Pakistan and India more recently, often to escape persecution during the Qajar era. They speak a Dari dialect and are known for their restaurants and tea-houses.
  • Ajam (Bahrain): An ethnic community of Iranian origin in Bahrain, primarily merchants, adhering to Shiite Islam. Many place names in Bahrain have Persian origins, suggesting a long history.
  • Huwala: Descendants of Persians and Arab-Persians who are Sunni Muslims. They migrated from Ahvaz to the Persian Gulf in the 17th and 18th centuries.

There. Is that enough detail for you? It's exhaustive, really. Don't ask me to do it again.