Demographics of Iran | |
---|---|
Population | 87,929,883 (2023 est.) |
Growth rate | 0.98% (2022 est.) |
Birth rate | 15.27 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
Death rate | 5.17 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
Life expectancy | 75.25 years |
• male | 73.89 years |
• female | 76.67 years |
Fertility rate | 1.66 children born/woman (2023 official) |
Infant mortality rate | 14.84 deaths/1,000 live births |
Net migration rate | −0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
Age structure | |
0–14 years | 24.11% |
65 and over | 5.87% |
Sex ratio | |
Total | 1.03 male(s)/female (2022 est.) |
At birth | 1.05 male(s)/female |
Under 15 | 1.05 male(s)/female |
65 and over | 0.77 male(s)/female |
Nationality | |
Nationality | Iranian |
Language | |
Official | Persian (Farsi) |
Iran's population increased dramatically during the later half of the 20th century, reaching about 80 million by 2016. [1] [2] As of 2022 [update] , Iran's population is around 86.5 million. [3] In recent years, however, Iran's birth rate has dropped significantly. Studies project that Iran's rate of population growth will continue to slow until it stabilises above 100 million by 2050. [4] [5] Half of Iran's population was under 35 years old in 2012. [6]
In 2009, the number of households stood at 15.3 million (4.8 persons per household). [7] Families earn some 11.8 million rials (about $960) per month on average (2012). [8]
According to the OECD/World Bank statistics population growth in Iran from 1990 to 2008 was 17.6 million and 32%. [9] The literacy rate was 80% in 2002, [10] [11] and 85% in 2016. [12] The fertility rate has fallen to 1.6, below the natural replacement rate of 2.1. [13]
According to the 2016 population census the population of Iran was 79.9 million, [1] a fourfold increase since 1956. Between 1976 and 1986, an average annual population growth of almost 4% was reached, but due to decreasing fertility levels the growth decreased to 1.2% between 2011 and 2016.
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 |
In 1960, Iran's fertility rate was 7.3 children per woman. In 2021, the rate had fallen to 1.7 children per woman. A rate at 1.7 may seem good, but it can actually be quite harmful, as it is below replacement rate. Replacement rate is a term that refers to levels of childbearing, and is often calculated to be 2.1 children per woman. When the total fertility rate is below 2.1, this means that the country is faced with an ageing population, which can cause many problems for the country, including increased expenditure on health and long-term care, and labour-force shortages.
Studies show that there are several potential reasons for why Iran is facing a fertility crisis. According to a study through the Australian National University, there are both micro and macro factors affecting the fertility rate in Iran, including education, economics, and culture. Micro-factors can include family income levels and individual choices, while macro-factors can include the country's economy, education, and shifting cultural values. The cross-sectional cohort study examined four provinces in Iran (Gilan, Sistan & Baluchistan, West Azerbaijan, and Yazd) and found that trends show that women in all four provinces are choosing to have fewer children compared to the women born in the earlier cohorts. The majority of women agreed with statements such as “having many children is an obstacle for the parents’ interests” and “having many children creates financial pressure for the family” (among others)
Other sources also suggest that delayed marriage and a tendency to limit fertility are factors affecting the decline of TFR. A decline in TFR can lead to population decrease, and an ageing population, which can negatively impact the country's economy. In response, Iranian policymakers have attempted to limit these factors by restricting access to contraceptives and surgeries that reduce fertility.
(2022 estimates). [15]
Population (on 1 July) | Live births per year | Deaths per year | Natural change per year | crude birth rate1 | crude death rate1 | natural change1 | crude migration rate1 | total fertility rate2 | infant mortality rate3 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1950 | 16,833,000 | 844,000 | 469 000 | 375,000 | 50.1 | 27.9 | 22.3 | 6.95 | 209.0 | |
1951 | 17,220,000 | 863,000 | 481 000 | 382,000 | 50.1 | 27.9 | 22.2 | 0.3 | 6.95 | 207.3 |
1952 | 17,614,000 | 883,000 | 485 000 | 398,000 | 50.1 | 27.5 | 22.6 | -0.2 | 6.96 | 203.7 |
1953 | 18,018,000 | 904,000 | 490 000 | 414,000 | 50.1 | 27.2 | 23.0 | -0.6 | 6.98 | 200.5 |
1954 | 18,435,000 | 925,000 | 490 000 | 434,000 | 50.1 | 26.6 | 23.6 | -1.0 | 7.01 | 197.2 |
1955 | 18,874,000 | 946,000 | 491 000 | 455,000 | 50.1 | 26.0 | 24.1 | -0.8 | 7.04 | 192.9 |
1956 | 19,332,000 | 968,000 | 494 000 | 474,000 | 50.0 | 25.5 | 24.5 | -0.8 | 7.08 | 189.5 |
1957 | 19,806,000 | 996,000 | 497 000 | 499,000 | 50.2 | 25.1 | 25.2 | -1.3 | 7.18 | 185.8 |
1958 | 20,295,000 | 1,022,000 | 494 000 | 528,000 | 50.3 | 24.3 | 26.0 | -1.9 | 7.28 | 181.6 |
1959 | 20,822,000 | 1,046,000 | 494 000 | 551,000 | 50.2 | 23.7 | 26.5 | -1.2 | 7.38 | 177.8 |
1960 | 21,389,000 | 1,049,000 | 493 000 | 556,000 | 49.0 | 23.1 | 26.0 | 0.5 | 7.30 | 174.0 |
1961 | 21,984,000 | 1,053,000 | 489 000 | 564,000 | 48.0 | 22.3 | 25.7 | 1.4 | 7.23 | 170.2 |
1962 | 22,605,000 | 1,069,000 | 500 000 | 569,000 | 47.4 | 22.2 | 25.2 | 2.3 | 7.22 | 167.3 |
1963 | 23,259,000 | 1,082,000 | 485 000 | 597,000 | 46.6 | 20.9 | 25.7 | 2.4 | 7.18 | 162.8 |
1964 | 23,949,000 | 1,098,000 | 483 000 | 615,000 | 45.9 | 20.2 | 25.7 | 3.1 | 7.13 | 159.1 |
1965 | 24,667,000 | 1,120,000 | 482 000 | 637,000 | 45.5 | 19.6 | 25.9 | 3.2 | 7.11 | 155.4 |
1966 | 25,399,000 | 1,145,000 | 480 000 | 664,000 | 45.1 | 18.9 | 26.2 | 2.6 | 7.08 | 151.6 |
1967 | 26,133,000 | 1,174,000 | 480 000 | 694,000 | 44.9 | 18.4 | 26.6 | 1.5 | 7.05 | 147.6 |
1968 | 26,875,000 | 1,195,000 | 487 000 | 708,000 | 44.5 | 18.1 | 26.4 | 1.2 | 6.97 | 144.0 |
1969 | 27,644,000 | 1,220,000 | 474 000 | 746,000 | 44.2 | 17.2 | 27.0 | 0.8 | 6.90 | 138.9 |
1970 | 28,450,000 | 1,229,000 | 468 000 | 761,000 | 43.2 | 16.5 | 26.8 | 1.5 | 6.71 | 134.1 |
1971 | 29,274,000 | 1,239,000 | 459 000 | 780,000 | 42.4 | 15.7 | 26.7 | 1.4 | 6.51 | 128.9 |
1972 | 30,112,000 | 1,237,000 | 456 000 | 782,000 | 41.1 | 15.1 | 26.0 | 1.8 | 6.25 | 123.8 |
1973 | 30,982,000 | 1,258,000 | 440 000 | 818,000 | 40.6 | 14.2 | 26.4 | 1.7 | 6.11 | 118.2 |
1974 | 31,896,000 | 1,295,000 | 433 000 | 862,000 | 40.6 | 13.6 | 27.0 | 1.7 | 6.04 | 113.0 |
1975 | 32,857,000 | 1,339,000 | 428 000 | 911,000 | 40.8 | 13.0 | 27.8 | 1.4 | 6.01 | 107.7 |
1976 | 33,841,000 | 1,416,000 | 425 000 | 991,000 | 41.8 | 12.5 | 29.3 | -0.2 | 6.14 | 102.3 |
1977 | 34,876,000 | 1,474,000 | 421 000 | 1,053,000 | 42.3 | 12.1 | 30.2 | -0.5 | 6.20 | 96.6 |
1978 | 35,994,000 | 1,550,000 | 446 000 | 1,104,000 | 43.1 | 12.4 | 30.7 | 0.4 | 6.33 | 92.4 |
1979 | 37,205,000 | 1,645,000 | 411 000 | 1,234,000 | 44.2 | 11.0 | 33.2 | -0.7 | 6.53 | 85.1 |
1980 | 38,521,000 | 1,708,000 | 422 000 | 1,286,000 | 44.4 | 11.0 | 33.4 | 0.8 | 6.58 | 79.5 |
1981 | 40,476,000 | 1,756,000 | 463 000 | 1,293,000 | 44.1 | 11.6 | 32.4 | 15.9 | 6.56 | 74.3 |
1982 | 42,500,000 | 1,886,000 | 467 000 | 1,419,000 | 44.4 | 11.0 | 33.4 | 14.2 | 6.55 | 69.3 |
1983 | 44,028,000 | 1,930,000 | 458 000 | 1,472,000 | 43.9 | 10.4 | 33.5 | 1.2 | 6.51 | 65.1 |
1984 | 45,628,000 | 1,966,000 | 420 000 | 1,546,000 | 43.1 | 9.2 | 33.9 | 1.2 | 6.44 | 61.5 |
1985 | 47,266,000 | 1,974,000 | 415 000 | 1,559,000 | 41.8 | 8.8 | 33.0 | 1.7 | 6.26 | 58.2 |
1986 | 48,913,000 | 1,957,000 | 409 000 | 1,547,000 | 40.0 | 8.4 | 31.7 | 2.0 | 6.01 | 55.3 |
1987 | 50,541,000 | 1,915,000 | 407 000 | 1,507,000 | 37.9 | 8.1 | 29.9 | 2.3 | 5.69 | 52.6 |
1988 | 52,112,000 | 1,872,000 | 399 000 | 1,473,000 | 36.0 | 7.7 | 28.3 | 1.8 | 5.39 | 49.8 |
1989 | 53,645,000 | 1,828,000 | 358 000 | 1,470,000 | 34.1 | 6.7 | 27.4 | 1.2 | 5.11 | 47.4 |
1990 | 55,794,000 | 1,788,000 | 395 000 | 1,393,000 | 32.5 | 7.2 | 25.3 | 13.2 | 4.86 | 46.5 |
1991 | 57,991,000 | 1,790,000 | 359 000 | 1,431,000 | 30.9 | 6.2 | 24.7 | 13.2 | 4.51 | 43.1 |
1992 | 59,372,000 | 1,697,000 | 358 000 | 1,340,000 | 28.5 | 6.0 | 22.5 | 0.8 | 4.08 | 41.3 |
1993 | 59,755,000 | 1,579,000 | 352 000 | 1,227,000 | 26.1 | 5.8 | 20.3 | -13.9 | 3.68 | 39.8 |
1994 | 59,986,000 | 1,367,000 | 340 000 | 1,027,000 | 22.8 | 5.7 | 17.1 | -13.2 | 3.27 | 38.2 |
1995 | 60,795,000 | 1,244,000 | 335 000 | 908,000 | 20.4 | 5.5 | 14.9 | -1.6 | 2.89 | 36.8 |
1996 | 61,598,000 | 1,145,000 | 333 000 | 811,000 | 18.6 | 5.4 | 13.2 | -0.2 | 2.57 | 35.4 |
1997 | 62,481,000 | 1,081,000 | 334 000 | 747,000 | 17.3 | 5.4 | 12.0 | 2.1 | 2.33 | 34.0 |
1998 | 63,461,000 | 1,064,000 | 336 000 | 727,000 | 16.8 | 5.3 | 11.5 | 3.9 | 2.20 | 32.5 |
1999 | 64,475,000 | 1,065,000 | 333 000 | 732,000 | 16.6 | 5.2 | 11.4 | 4.3 | 2.10 | 31.0 |
2000 | 65,544,000 | 1,071,000 | 337 000 | 735,000 | 16.4 | 5.2 | 11.2 | 5.1 | 2.02 | 29.5 |
2001 | 66,675,000 | 1,082,000 | 344 000 | 738,000 | 16.3 | 5.2 | 11.1 | 5.9 | 1.94 | 28.1 |
2002 | 67,327,000 | 1,086,000 | 345 000 | 742,000 | 16.1 | 5.1 | 11.0 | -1.3 | 1.87 | 26.4 |
2003 | 67,955,000 | 1,081,000 | 370 000 | 712,000 | 16.0 | 5.5 | 10.5 | -1.3 | 1.82 | 25.6 |
2004 | 69,062,000 | 1,107,000 | 345 000 | 762,000 | 16.1 | 5.0 | 11.1 | 4.9 | 1.80 | 23.4 |
2005 | 70,183,000 | 1,134,000 | 348 000 | 786,000 | 16.2 | 5.0 | 11.2 | 4.8 | 1.78 | 21.9 |
2006 | 71,276,000 | 1,173,000 | 349 000 | 824,000 | 16.5 | 4.9 | 11.6 | 3.7 | 1.77 | 20.6 |
2007 | 72,319,000 | 1,221,000 | 350 000 | 872,000 | 16.9 | 4.8 | 12.1 | 2.3 | 1.77 | 19.4 |
2008 | 73,318,000 | 1,265,000 | 369 000 | 896,000 | 17.3 | 5.0 | 12.2 | 1.4 | 1.77 | 18.2 |
2009 | 74,323,000 | 1,304,000 | 381 000 | 923,000 | 17.5 | 5.1 | 12.4 | 1.1 | 1.77 | 17.2 |
2010 | 75,374,000 | 1,337,000 | 385 000 | 953,000 | 17.8 | 5.1 | 12.6 | 1.3 | 1.77 | 16.3 |
2011 | 76,343,000 | 1,388,000 | 381 000 | 1,008,000 | 18.2 | 5.0 | 13.2 | -0.5 | 1.80 | 15.5 |
2012 | 77,324,000 | 1,464,000 | 378 000 | 1,085,000 | 18.9 | 4.9 | 14.0 | -1.3 | 1.89 | 14.8 |
2013 | 78,459,000 | 1,526,000 | 385 000 | 1,141,000 | 19.4 | 4.9 | 14.5 | 0 | 1.96 | 14.2 |
2014 | 79,962,000 | 1,579,000 | 391 000 | 1,188,000 | 19.8 | 4.9 | 14.9 | 3.9 | 2.04 | 13.6 |
2015 | 81,791,000 | 1,583,000 | 395 000 | 1,188,000 | 19.4 | 4.8 | 14.6 | 7.8 | 2.05 | 13.1 |
2016 | 83,306,000 | 1,584,000 | 394 000 | 1,190,000 | 19.0 | 4.7 | 14.3 | 3.9 | 2.07 | 12.6 |
2017 | 84,505,000 | 1,572,000 | 396 000 | 1,176,000 | 18.6 | 4.7 | 13.9 | 0.3 | 2.07 | 12.2 |
2018 | 85,618,000 | 1,475,000 | 404 000 | 1,071,000 | 17.2 | 4.7 | 12.5 | 0.5 | 1.97 | 11.8 |
2019 | 86,564,000 | 1,308,000 | 421 000 | 886,000 | 15.1 | 4.9 | 10.2 | -0.4 | 1.77 | 11.4 |
2020 | 87,290,000 | 1,243,000 | 486 000 | 757,000 | 14.2 | 5.6 | 8.7 | -0.1 | 1.71 | 11.0 |
2021 | 87,923,000 | 1,204,000 | 566 000 | 638,000 | 13.7 | 6.4 | 7.3 | -0.1 | 1.69 | 10.7 |
2022 | 88,550,000 | 1,151,000 | 531,000 | 620,000 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 10 |
1per 1000; 2 TFR = number of children per woman; 3per 1000 births
(2001 statistics) [16] [17] [18]
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 | 2.07 |
2018 | 81,865,000 | 1,366,519 | 376,731 | 989,788 | 16.9 | 4.6 | 12.3 | 1.97 |
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 | 1.71 |
2021 | 83,935,000 | 1,116,212 | 544,517 | 571,695 | 13.2 | 6.4 | 6.8 | 1.74 |
2022 | 1,075,381 | 395,727 | 679,654 | 12.7 | 4.7 | 8.0 | 1.66 | |
2023 | 1,057,948 | 403,202 | 654,746 | 12.4 | 4.7 | 7.7 |
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Period | Live births | Deaths | Natural increase |
---|---|---|---|
March 21, 2021 – December 21, 2021 | 844,723 | 428,549 | +416,174 |
March 21, 2022 – December 21, 2022 | 810,877 | 313,545 | +497,332 |
Difference | -33,846 (-4.0%) | -115,004 (-26.8%) | +81,158 |
March 21, 2023 - December 21, 2023 | 798,550 |
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 |
Number of children 0–14 | Number of people 15–49 | Proportion | Number of women 15–49 | Proportion |
---|---|---|---|---|
17,681,629 (2006) | 43,049,709 (2006) | 0.4107 (2006) | ~21,524,855 (2006) | 0.8215 (2006) |
17,561,778 (2011) | 45,174,366 (2011) | 0.3888 (2011) | ~22,587,183 (2011) | 0.7775 (2011) |
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2020) (Data refer to the Iranian Year which begins on 21 March and ends on 20 March of the following year.): [21]
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 |
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 |
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) |
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 |
1 The population of the provinces of Alborz and Tehran for 2006 and their average annual growth have been calculated based on the data of 2011.
Unofficial Translation 17
Table 10 – Population Percentages by Province: 2006 and 2011 (Percentage)
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 |
1 The population of the provinces of Alborz and Tehran for 2006 and their average annual growth have been calculated based on the data of 2011.
The largest linguistic group comprises speakers of Iranian languages, like modern Persian, Kurdish, Gilaki, Mazandarani, Luri, Talysh, and Balochi. Speakers of Turkic languages, most notably Azerbaijanis, which is by far the second-most spoken language in the country, but also the Turkmen, and the Qashqai peoples, comprise a substantial minority. The remainder are primarily speakers of Semitic languages such as Arabic and Assyrian. A small number of Mandaeans in Khuzestan speak Mandaic. There are small groups using other Indo-European languages such as Armenian and Russian; also, Georgian (a member of the Kartvelian language family) is spoken in a large pocket only by those Iranian Georgians that live in Fereydan, Fereydunshahr. Most of those Georgians who live in the north Iranian provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran, Isfahan, Tehran Province and the rest of Iran no longer speak the language. The Circassians in Iran, a very large minority in the past and speakers of the Circassian language, have been strongly assimilated and absorbed within the population in the past few centuries. However, significant pockets do exist spread over the country, and they are the second-largest Caucasus-derived group in the nation after the Georgians. [22] [23]
Jews have had a continuous presence in Iran since the time of Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid Empire. In 1948, there were approximately 140,000–150,000 Jews living in Iran. According to the Tehran Jewish Committee, the Jewish population of Iran was (more recently) estimated at 25,000 to 35,000, of which approximately 15,000 are in Tehran with the rest residing in Hamadan, Shiraz, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Yazd, Kerman, Rafsanjan, Borujerd, Sanandaj, Tabriz and Urmia. However, the official 2011 state census recorded only 8,756 Jews in Iran. [24]
The CIA World Factbook (which is based on 2013 statistics) gives the following numbers for the languages spoken in Iran today: Persian, Luri, Gilaki and Mazandarani 66%; Azerbaijani and other Turkic languages 18%; Kurdish 10%; Arabic 2%; Balochi 2%; others 2% (Armenian, Georgian, Circassian, Assyrian, etc.). [25]
According to anthropologist Brian Spooner, around half of Iran's population uses a language other than Persian at home and in informal public situations. [26]
Other sources, such as the Library of Congress, and the Encyclopedia of Islam (Leiden) [27] give Iran's ethnic groups as following: Persians 65%, Azerbaijanis 16%, Kurds 7%, Lurs 6%, Arabs 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmens 1%, Turkic tribal groups (e.g. Qashqai) 1%, and non-Persian, non-Turkic groups (e.g. Armenians, Georgians, Assyrians, Circassians) less than 1%. [28] For sources prior to and after 2000, see Languages and ethnicities in Iran.
In addition to its international migration pattern, Iran also exhibits one of the steepest urban growth rates in the world according to the UN humanitarian information unit. According to 2015 population estimates, approximately 73.4 per cent of Iran's population lives in urban areas, up from 27 per cent in 1950. [29]
The following is a list of the eight most populous cities in the country:
Rank | City | Province | population | |
---|---|---|---|---|
City [30] | Metro [31] | |||
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 |
Muslims | Christians | Zoroastrians | Jews | Other | Unknown | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | |
census 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% |
census 1966 | 24,771,922 | 98.8% | 149,427 | 0.6% | 19,816 | 0.1% | 60,683 | 0.2% | 77,075 | 0.3% | ||
census 1976 | 33,396,908 | 99.1% | 168,593 | 0.5% | 21,400 | 0.1% | 62,258 | 0.2% | 59,583 | 0.2% | ||
census 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% |
census 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% |
About 99% of the Iranians are Muslims; 90% belong to the Shi'a branch of Islam, the official state religion, and about 9% belong to the Sunni branch, which predominates in neighbouring Muslim countries. [11] Less than 1% non-Muslim minorities include Christians, Zoroastrians, Jews, Baháʼís, Mandaeans, and Yarsan. By far the largest group of Christians in Iran are Armenians under the Armenian Apostolic Church which has between 110,000, [32] 250,000, [33] and 300,000, [34] adherents. There are hundreds of Christian churches in Iran.[ citation needed ] The Baháʼí Faith, Iran's largest non-Muslim religious minority with a population around 300,000, is not officially recognised (and therefore not included in the census results), and has been persecuted since its inception in Iran. Since the 1979 revolution the persecution of Baháʼís has increased with executions, the denial of civil rights and liberties, and the denial of access to higher education and employment. [35] [36] Unofficial estimates for the Assyrian Christian population range between 20,000, [37] [38] and 70,000. [39] [40] The number of Iranian Mandaeans is a matter of dispute. In 2009, there were an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 Mandaeans in Iran, according to the Associated Press. [41] Whereas Alarabiya has put the number of Iranian Mandaeans as high as 60,000 in 2011. [42]
The term "Iranian citizens abroad" or " Iranian/Persian diaspora" refers to the Iranian people and their children born in Iran but living outside of Iran. Migrant Iranian workers abroad remitted less than two billion dollars home in 2006. [43]
As of 2010, there are about four to five million Iranians living abroad, mostly in the United States, Canada, Europe, Persian Gulf States, Turkey, Australia and the broader Middle East. [29] [44] According to the 2000 Census and other independent surveys, there are an estimated 1 million Iranian-Americans living in the U.S., in particular, the Los Angeles area is estimated to be host to approximately 72,000 Iranians, earning the Westwood area of LA the nickname Tehrangeles. [45] Other metropolises that have large Iranian populations include Dubai with 300,000 Iranians, 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 to be $1.3 trillion. [46]
Note that this differs from the other Iranian peoples living in other areas of Greater Iran, who are of related ethnolinguistical family, speaking languages belonging to the Iranian languages which is a branch of Indo-European languages.
Iran hosts one of the largest refugee population in the world, with more than one million refugees, mostly from Afghanistan (80%) and Iraq (10%). Since 2006, Iranian officials have been working with the UNHCR and Afghan officials for their repatriation. [47] [48] Between 1979 and 1997, UNHCR spent more than US$1 billion on Afghan refugees in Pakistan but only $150 million on those in Iran. In 1999, the Iranian government estimated the cost of maintaining its refugee population at US$10 million per day, compared with the US$18 million UNHCR allocated for all of its operations in Iran in 1999. [48] As of 2016, some 300,000 work permits have been issued for foreign nationals in Iran. [49]
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated. [50]
Age structure [51]
Median age
Population growth rate
Birth rate
Death rate
Urbanization
Sex ratio
Life expectancy at birth
Total fertility rate
Literacy
Y-Chromosome DNA Y-DNA represents the male lineage, the Iranian Y-chromosome pool is as follows where haplogroups, R1 (25%), J2 (23%) G (14%), J1 (8%) E1b1b (5%), L (4%), Q (4%), comprise more than 85% of the total chromosomes. [52]
Haplogroup [53] | n | B | C | E1b1a | E1b1b1a2 | E1b1b1a3 | E1b1b1c | F | G | H | I | J1 | J2 | K | L | N | O | P,R | Q | R1a | R1b | R1b1a | R1b1b | R2 | T |
Marker | M2 | V13 | V22 | M34 | M343 | V88 | M269 | M70 | |||||||||||||||||
Iran | 566 | 0.53 | 0.18 | 1.41 | 1.77 | 1.8 | 0.88 | 0.35 | 14.00 | 2.65 | 0.8 | 8.13 | 23.86 | 0.71 | 4.00 | 2.12 | 1.41 | 0.71 | 4.01 | 17.49 | 1.24 | 0.35 | 6.18 | 1.41 | 2.12 |
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) represents the female lineage. West Eurasian mtDNA makes up over 90% of the Iranian population on average. (2013). [54]
Among them, U3b3 lineages appear to be restricted to populations of Iran and the Caucasus, while the sub-cluster U3b1a is common in the whole Near East region. [54]
In Iran outliers in the Y-chromosomes and Mitochondrial DNA gene pool are consisted of the north Iranian ethnicities, such as the Gilaks and Mazandarani's, whose genetic build up including chromosomal DNA are nearly identical to the major South Caucasian ethnicities, namely the Georgians, Armenians and Azerbaijani's. Other outliers are made by the Baloch people, representing a mere 1–2% of the total Iranian population, who have more patrilinial and mitochondrial DNA lines leaning towards northwest South Asian ethnic groups.
Levels of genetic variation in Iranian populations are comparable to the other groups from the Caucasus, Anatolia and Europe. [54]
A large-scale genetic analyses on various ethnic groups of Iran, published in 2019, found that genetically speaking different Iranian ethnic groups, such as Persians, Kurds, Azeris, Lurs, Mazanderanis, Gilaks and Arabs, cluster tightly together, forming a single cluster known as the "CIC" (Central Iranian cluster). Compared with worldwide populations, Iranians (CIC) cluster in the center of the wider West Eurasian cluster, close to Europeans, Middle Easterners, and South-Central Asians. Iranian Arabs and Turkic-speaking Azeris genetically overlap with Iranian-speaking peoples such as Persians. The genetic substructure of Iranians was found to be low, compared with other "1000G" populations. Iranians display their highest genetic affinity with other Southwest and West Asian populations, followed by Europeans and Central Asian groups. Certain South Asians (specifically the Parsi minority) showed the highest affinity with Iranians, inline with their ethnic history. Overall, the study results suggest that the genetic makeup of the Iranian gene pool formed already about 5,000 years ago and shows high continuity since then, suggesting that they were largely unaffected by migration events from outside groups. On a global scale, Iranians display their highest affinity with other "West Eurasian" populations (such as Europeans or South Asians, but also Latin Americans), while Sub-Saharan Africans and East Asians showed large degrees of differentiation with Iranians. [55]
The "Tats" are an Iranian people, presently living within Azerbaijan and Russia (mainly Southern Dagestan). The Tats are part of the indigenous peoples of Iranian origin in the Caucasus. [56] [57] [58]
Tats use the Tat language, a southwestern Iranian language and a variety of Persian [59] [60] [61] [62] [63] Azerbaijani and Russian are also spoken. Tats are mainly Shia Muslims, with a significant Sunni Muslim minority. Likely the ancestors of modern Tats settled in South Caucasus when the Sassanid Empire from the 3rd to 7th centuries built cities and founded military garrisons to strengthen their positions in this region. [64]
The Parsis are the close-knit Zoroastrian community based primarily in India but also found in Pakistan. Parsis are descended from Persian Zoroastrians who emigrated to the Indian subcontinent over 1,000 years ago. Indian census data (2001) records 69,601 Parsis in India, with a concentration in and around the city of Mumbai (previously known as Bombay). There are approximately 8,000 Parsis elsewhere on the subcontinent, with an estimated 2,500 Parsis in the city of Karachi and approximately 50 Parsi families in Sri Lanka. The number of Parsis worldwide is estimated to be fewer than 100,000 (Eliade, 1991:254).
In Pakistan and India, the term "Irani" has come to denote Iranian Zoroastrians who have migrated to Pakistan and India within the last two centuries, as opposed to most Parsis who arrived in India over 1000 years ago. Many of them moved during the Qajar era, when persecution of Iranian Zoroastrians was rampant. They are culturally and linguistically closer to the Zoroastrians of Iran. Unlike the Parsis, they speak a Dari dialect, the language spoken by the Iranian Zoroastrians in Yazd and Kerman. Their last names often resemble modern Iranian names, however Irani is a common surname among them. In India they are mostly located in modern-day Mumbai while in Pakistan they are mostly located in modern-day Karachi. In both Pakistan and India, they are famous for their restaurants and tea-houses. [65] Some, such as Ardeshir Irani, have also become very famous in cinema.
The "Ajam" are an ethnic community of Bahrain, of Iranian origin. They have traditionally been merchants living in specific quarters of Manama and Muharraq. The Iranians who adhere to Shiite sect of Islam are Ajam, and they are different from the Huwala. Ajams are also a large percentage of the populace in UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman.
In addition to this, many names of ancient villages in Bahrain are of Persian origin. It is believed that these names were given during the Safavid rule of Bahrain (1501–1722). i.e. Karbabad, Salmabad, Karzakan, Duraz, Barbar, which indicates that the history of Ajams is much older.
Huwala are the descendants of Persians and Arab-Persians who belong to the Sunni sect of Islam. [66] Huwala migrated from Ahvaz in Iran to the Persian Gulf in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. [66] [67]
Most of the large Circassian migrational waves towards mainland Iran stem from the Safavid and Qajar era, however a certain amount also stem from the relatively recent arrivals that migrated as the Circassians were displaced from the Caucasus in the 19th century. A Black African population exists due to historical slavery. A substantial number of Russians arrived in the early 20th century as refugees from the Russian Revolution, but their number has dwindled following the Iran crisis of 1946 and the Iranian Revolution. In the 20th to 21st centuries, there has been limited immigration to Iran from Turkey, Iraq (especially huge numbers during the 1970s known as Moaveds), Afghanistan (mostly arriving as refugees in 1978), Lebanon (especially in Qom, though a Lebanese community has been present in the nation for centuries), India (mostly arriving temporarily during the 1950s to 1970s, typically working as doctors, engineers, and teachers), Korea (mostly in the 1970s as labour migrants), China (mostly since the 2000s working in engineering or business projects), and Pakistan, partly due to labour migrants and partly to Balochi ties across the Iranian-Pakistani border. About 200,000 Iraqis arrived as refugees in 2003,[ citation needed ] mostly living in refugee camps near the border; an unknown number of these has since returned to Iraq.
Over the same period, there has also been substantial emigration from Iran, especially since the Iranian revolution (see Iranian diaspora, Human capital flight from Iran, Jewish exodus from Iran), especially to the United States, Canada, Germany, Israel, and Sweden.
The Iraqi people are people originating from the country of Iraq.
Jordan has a population of more than 11.1 million inhabitants as of 2023. Jordanians are the citizens of Jordan. Around 94% of Jordanians are Arabs, while the remaining 6% belong to other ethnic minorities, including Circassians, Chechens, Armenians and Kurds. In early 2016 about 30% of the population were non-citizens, a figure including refugees, legal and illegal immigrants. Jordan's annual population growth rate stands at 3.05% as of 2023, with an average birth rate of 2.8. There were 1,977,534 households in Jordan in 2015, with an average of 4.8 persons per household.
The Persians or Iranian Persians are an Iranian ethnic group who comprise over half of the population of Iran. They share a common cultural system and are native speakers of the Persian language as well as of the languages that are closely related to Persian.
Syria's estimated pre–Syrian Civil War 2011 population was 22 ±.5 million permanent inhabitants, which included 21,124,000 Syrians, as well as 1.3 million Iraqi refugees and over 500,000 Palestinian refugees. The war makes an accurate count of the Syrian population difficult, as the numbers of Syrian refugees, internally displaced Syrians and casualty numbers are in flux. The CIA World Factbook showed an estimated 20.4m people as of July 2021. Of the pre-war population, six million are refugees outside the country, seven million are internally displaced, three million live in rebel-held territory, and two million live in the Kurdish-ruled Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.
Demographic features of the population of Turkey include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
The Parsis or Parsees are an ethnoreligious group of the Indian subcontinent adhering to Zoroastrianism. They are descended from Persians who migrated to Medieval India during and after the Arab conquest of the Persian Empire to escape religious persecution. Parsis are the older of the Indian subcontinent's two Zoroastrian communities, the other being the Iranis, whose ancestors migrated to British-ruled India from Qajar-era Iran.
The population of Afghanistan is around 41 million as of 2023. The nation is composed of a multi-ethnic and multilingual society, reflecting its location astride historic trade and invasion routes between Central Asia, South Asia, and Western Asia. Ethnic groups in the country include Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, as well as smaller groups such as Baloch, Nuristani, Turkmen, Aimaq, Mongol and some others which are less known. Together they make up the contemporary Afghan people.
The Tat people or Transcaucasian Persians are an Iranian people presently living within Azerbaijan and Russia. The Tats are part of the indigenous peoples of Iranian origin in the Caucasus.
The Caucasian languages comprise a large and extremely varied array of languages spoken by more than ten million people in and around the Caucasus Mountains, which lie between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.
Azerbaijanis, Azeris, or Azerbaijani Turks are a Turkic ethnic group living mainly in the Azerbaijan region of northwestern Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan. They are predominantly Shia Muslims. They comprise the largest ethnic group in the Republic of Azerbaijan and the second-largest ethnic group in neighboring Iran and Georgia. They speak the Azerbaijani language, belonging to the Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages.
This article focuses on the status of ethnic minorities in contemporary Iran.
Tat, also known as Caucasian Persian, Tat/Tati Persian, or Caucasian Tat, is a Southwestern Iranian language closely related to, but not fully mutually intelligible with Persian and spoken by the Tats in Azerbaijan and Russia. There is also an Iranian language called Judeo-Tat spoken by Mountain Jews.
The peoples of the Caucasus, or Caucasians, are a diverse group comprising more than 50 ethnic groups throughout the Caucasus.
The Azerbaijani people are a Turkic ethnic group of mixed ethnic origins, primarily the indigenous peoples of eastern Transcaucasia, the Medians, an ancient Iranian people, and the Oghuz Turkic tribes that began migrating to Azerbaijan in the 11th century CE. Modern Azerbaijanis are the second most numerous ethnic group among the Turkic peoples after Anatolian Turks and speak North Azerbaijani and/or South Azerbaijani. Both languages also have dialects, with 21 North Azerbaijani dialects and 11 South Azerbaijani dialects.
Ethnic groups in the Middle East are ethnolinguistic groupings in the "transcontinental" region that is commonly a geopolitical term designating the intercontinental region comprising West Asia without the South Caucasus, and also comprising Egypt in North Africa. The Middle East has historically been a crossroad of different cultures and languages. Since the 1960s, the changes in political and economic factors have significantly altered the ethnic composition of groups in the region. While some ethnic groups have been present in the region for millennia, others have arrived fairly recently through immigration. The largest socioethnic groups in the region are Egyptians, Arabs, Turks, Persians, Kurds, and Azerbaijanis but there are dozens of other ethnic groups that have hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions of members.
The Parsis are a Zoroastrian community of South Asia.
The Iranian peoples or Iranic peoples are a diverse grouping of peoples who are identified by their usage of the Iranian languages and other cultural similarities.
The majority of the population of Iran consists of Iranic peoples. The largest groups in this category include Persians and Kurds, with smaller communities including Gilakis, Mazandaranis, Lurs, Tats, Talysh, and Baloch.
The Tat people of Iran are an Iranian people living in northern Iran, especially in Qazvin province.
Zoroastrianism, an Iranian religion, has been present in India for thousands of years. Though it split into a separate branch, it shares a common origin with Hinduism and other Indian religions, having been derived from the Indo-Iranian religion. Though it was once the majority and official religion of the Iranian nation, Zoroastrianism eventually shifted to the Indian subcontinent in light of the Muslim conquest of Iran, which saw the Rashidun Caliphate annex the Sasanian Empire by 651 CE. Owing to the persecution of Zoroastrians in the post-Sasanian period, a large wave of Iranian migrants fled to India, where they became known as the Parsi people, who now represent India's oldest Zoroastrian community. Later waves of Zoroastrian immigration to India took place over the following centuries, with a spike in the number of these refugees occurring during the Safavid conversion of Iran to Shia Islam and again during the reign of the Qajar dynasty, whose persecution of Zoroastrians prompted many to flee to British India, where they became known as the Irani people. Though Zoroastrian, the Parsis and the Iranis are culturally, linguistically, and socially distinct from each other due to their inception in separate periods of migration.
A government census published earlier this year indicated there were a mere 8,756 Jews left in Iran
Seven groups (Iranian Arabs, Azeris, Gilaks, Kurds, Mazanderanis, Lurs and Persians) strongly overlapped in their overall autosomal diversity in an MDS analysis (Fig 1B), suggesting the existence of a Central Iranian Cluster (CIC), notably also including Iranian Arabs and Azeris. On a global scale (Fig 2 including "Old World" populations only; see S2 Fig for all 1000G populations), CIC Iranians closely clustered with Europeans, while Iranian Turkmen showed similar yet distinct degrees of admixture compared to other South Asians. A local comparison corroborated the distinct genetic diversity of CIC Iranians relative to other geographically close populations [2, 6, 44] (Fig 3 and S3 Fig). Still, genetic substructure was much smaller among Iranian groups than in relation to any of the 1000G populations, supporting the view that the CIC groups form a distinct genetic entity, despite internal heterogeneity. European (FST~0.0105–0.0294), South Asians (FST~0.0141–0.0338), but also some Latin American populations (Puerto Ricans: FST~0.0153–0.0228; Colombians: FST~0.0170–0.0261) were closest to Iranians, whereas Sub-Saharan Africans and admixed Afro-Americans (FST~0.0764–0.1424) as well as East Asians (FST ~ 0.0645–0.1055) showed large degrees of differentiation with Iranians.