Page last updated on February 5, 2013
Nationality:
noun: Iranian(s)
adjective:
Iranian
Ethnic groups:
Persian 61%, Azeri 16%, Kurd 10%, Lur 6%, Baloch 2%, Arab 2%, Turkmen and Turkic tribes 2%, other 1%
Languages:
Persian (official) 53%, Azeri Turkic and Turkic dialects 18%, Kurdish 10%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 7%, Luri 6%, Balochi 2%, Arabic 2%, other 2%
Religions:
Muslim (official) 98% (Shia 89%, Sunni 9%), other (includes Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i) 2%
Population:
78,868,711 (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
[see also: Population country ranks ]
Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.9% (male 9,654,957/female 9,174,944)
[see also: Age structure 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years:
20.8% (male 8,452,651/female 7,979,390)
25-54 years:
44.4% (male 17,798,505/female 17,235,725)
55-64 years:
5.8% (male 2,247,169/female 2,341,635)
65 years and over:
5.1% (male 1,871,299/female 2,112,436) (2012 est.)
Median age:
total: 27.4 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male:
27.1 years
female:
27.6 years (2012 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.247% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]
Birth rate:
18.52 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]
Death rate:
5.94 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]
Net migration rate:
-0.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]
Urbanization:
urban population: 71% of total population (2010)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization:
1.9% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major cities - population:
TEHRAN (capital) 7.19 million; Mashhad 2.592 million; Esfahan 1.704 million; Karaj 1.531 million; Tabriz 1.459 million (2009)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.89 male(s)/female
total population:
1.03 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Maternal mortality rate:
21 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 135
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]
Infant mortality rate:
total: 41.11 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 57
male:
41.61 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
40.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.35 years
country comparison to the world: 147
male:
68.84 years
female:
71.93 years (2012 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.87 children born/woman (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]
Health expenditures:
3.9% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 166
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]
Physicians density:
0.89 physicians/1,000 population (2005)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]
Hospital bed density:
1.38 beds/1,000 population (2006)
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 86% of population
rural: 78% of population
total: 83% of population
unimproved:
