placestats

Last European coloniser: Never a European colony · Largest religious group: Muslims. These are labels that describe the country, not numbers, so they are never compared with other measures. The numbers behind them, such as population shares, are.

Iran, Islamic Rep.

Against upper middle income countries, Iran, Islamic Rep. ranks 6th of 58 on health and 57th of 57 on gender. Each ranking counts only the countries that report that score, so the totals differ and the two ranks can’t be compared directly. Both compare Iran, Islamic Rep. with countries of similar wealth. That is the only kind of ranking that tells you something a ranking by income does not already show.

How it has changed

Every measure Iran, Islamic Rep. reports, over all the years it has been published. Pick one. Hover or use the arrow keys to read a year. Gaps in a line are years with no data. They are left open, not filled in.

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Scores by area

Each score averages the measures in one area, such as health. Each measure is first put on a common scale and turned so that higher is always better. Zero is the average country in an average year. One point is a typical gap between countries (a standard deviation), so +1 means about one typical gap above average. These are summaries, not measurements. See how the country scores are built and how the topic scores compare with each other.

ScoreValueRank, all countriesRank, similar incomeMostly income?
Governance score 2025-1.26169 of 17947 of 51moderate +0.53
Health score 2023+0.3338 of 1936 of 58moderate +0.32
Education score 2023+0.6781 of 19924 of 57proxy +0.81
Wellbeing score 2022-0.6899 of 11033 of 35high +0.80
Equality score 2023+0.3178 of 16524 of 53high +0.64
Infrastructure score 2024+0.97102 of 21031 of 58proxy +0.90
Gender score 2024-0.96181 of 18657 of 57moderate +0.37
Environment score 2024-0.81199 of 21354 of 58moderate -0.33
Labour score 2025-0.05119 of 19534 of 56high +0.79

The last column shows how closely each score just tracks national income. The number is its link with GDP per person (the value of everything a country produces, divided by its people), from −1 to +1. A score marked proxy is mostly a measure of how rich the country is. Its rank among all countries says little that GDP per person does not. That is why the rank among similar-income countries sits beside it.

The measures behind them

Every measure reported for Iran, Islamic Rep., grouped by area. Some measures have no agreed better direction, such as population growth, inflation and military spending. They are listed here but left out of every score, since there is no fair way to say which way is better. Some names use technical terms: PPP means adjusted for what money buys in each country, HDI is a United Nations score combining life expectancy, schooling and income, and a Gini indexmeasures how unequally income is shared. Each measure’s own page explains it.

crime

Conflict deaths1.34per 100,000 people2025higher is worse
Armed conflict present11 if any conflict, else 02025higher is worse
Homicide rate2.38per 100,000 population2014higher is worse

culture

Religious attendance43.2%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Religion very important70.5%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Frequent prayer80.9%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Confidence in religious institutions78.1%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Religiously unaffiliated0.00005%% of population2020no agreed direction
Christian share0.143%% of population2020no agreed direction
Muslim share99.8%% of population2020no agreed direction
Single-parent households0%% of households2011no agreed direction
One-person households7.16%% of households2011no agreed direction
Women in a union69.6%% of women aged 15-492022no agreed direction
Marriage rate (UN)6.77marriages per 1,000 people2021no agreed direction
Divorce rate (UN)2.41divorces per 1,000 people2022no agreed direction

demography

Median age32.9years2023no agreed direction
Age at childbearing28.8years2023no agreed direction
Population92,417,681people2025no agreed direction
Population growth0.924%% per year2025no agreed direction
Urbanization77.4%% of population2025no agreed direction
Population 65+8.58%% of population2025no agreed direction
Population 0-1422%% of population2025no agreed direction
Fertility rate1.68births per woman2024no agreed direction
Birth rate12.6per 1,000 people2024no agreed direction
Net migration116,786people2025no agreed direction
Migrant share of population4.2%% of population2024no agreed direction

economy

HDI0.799index, 0 to 12023higher is better
Inequality-adjusted HDI0.643index, 0 to 12023higher is better
GDP per capita (PPP)$16,834international $2025higher is better
GNI per capita (PPP)$16,077international $2024higher is better
GDP per capita (market)$5,617US$2025higher is better
GDP growth-2.83%% per year2025no agreed direction
Inflation42.2%% per year2025no agreed direction
Trade openness60.2%% of GDP2025no agreed direction
FDI inflows0.305%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Government consumption13.3%% of GDP2025no agreed direction
Military spending2.01%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Employment in agriculture13.6%% of employment2025no agreed direction

education

Primary completion96.7%% of children2025higher is better
Expected schooling14years2023higher is better
Mean years of schooling10.8years2023higher is better
Education spending2.82%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Primary enrollment102%% gross2023higher is better
Secondary enrollment85.1%% gross2023higher is better
Tertiary enrollment58.7%% gross2022higher is better
Adult literacy88.9%% of adults2023higher is better
Compulsory schooling9years2025no agreed direction
Out of school, primary0.103%% of primary-age children2023higher is worse
Pupil-teacher ratio28.5pupils per teacher2017higher is worse
Researchers2,240per million people2021higher is better

environment

CO2 per capita9.05t CO2e per capita2024higher is worse
Forest area6.65%% of land area2023higher is better
Agricultural land29%% of land area2023no agreed direction
Protected land7.8%% of land area2025higher is better

gender

Gender Inequality Index0.482index, 0 to 12023higher is worse
Gender Development Index0.875ratio of women's HDI to men's2023no agreed direction
Women's political empowerment0.32index (0-1)2025higher is better
Women ministers10%% of ministers2024higher is better
Women in parliament4.91%% of seats2025higher is better
Women in management21.4%% of managers2024higher is better
Married by 1816.7%% of women aged 20-242010higher is worse

governance

Corruption Perceptions Index23index (0-100, higher = cleaner)2024higher is better
Political rights (FH)7rating (1-7, 1 = most free)2025higher is worse
Civil liberties (FH)7rating (1-7, 1 = most free)2025higher is worse
Pre-trial detainee share25.1%% of prisoners2014higher is worse
Refugees originating173per 100,000 people2024higher is worse
Electoral democracy0.159index (0-1)2025higher is better
Liberal democracy0.103index (0-1)2025higher is better
Participatory democracy0.042index (0-1)2025higher is better
Free and fair elections0.235index (0-1)2025higher is better
Regime type1regime category (0-3)2025higher is better
Political corruption0.768index (0-1)2025higher is worse
Freedom of expression0.166index (0-1)2025higher is better
Freedom of association0.093index (0-1)2025higher is better
Political civil liberties0.158index (0-1)2025higher is better
Civil society participation0.154index (0-1)2025higher is better
Birth registration98.6%% of children under 52010higher is better
Control of corruption-1.15index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Rule of law-1.23index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Government effectiveness-0.706index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Regulatory quality-1.51index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Voice and accountability-1.55index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Political stability-1.58index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better

health

Life expectancy77.9years2024higher is better
Infant mortality10.3per 1,000 live births2024higher is worse
Under-5 mortality11.3per 1,000 live births2024higher is worse
Health spending6.03%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Suicide rate4.07per 100,0002021higher is worse
Hospital beds1.85per 1,000 people2019no agreed direction
Basic water access97.9%% of population2024higher is better
Basic sanitation90.5%% of population2024higher is better
Child stunting4.8%% of children under 52024higher is worse
Adolescent fertility25.8births per 1,000 women aged 15-192024higher is worse
Maternal mortality16per 100,000 live births2023higher is worse
Skilled birth attendance99%% of births2014higher is better
Alcohol consumption0.51litres per adult per year2020no agreed direction
Tobacco use11.9%% of adults2024higher is worse
Road traffic deaths21.5per 100,000 population2019higher is worse
Physicians1.81per 1,000 people2023higher is better
DTP3 immunisation98%% of children aged 12-23 months2024higher is better
Tuberculosis incidence10per 100,000 people2024higher is worse
Premature NCD mortality13.9%% probability, ages 30-702021higher is worse
Anaemia in women25.5%% of women aged 15-492023higher is worse
Out-of-pocket health spending43.1%% of health spending2023higher is worse
Undernourishment6.8%% of population2023higher is worse
Food insecurity38.8%% of population2023higher is worse
Adult obesity24.6%% of adults2024higher is worse
Health coverage index81index, 0 to 1002023higher is better

inequality

Gini index35.9index (0-100)2023higher is worse
Extreme poverty rate2.5%% of population2023higher is worse

infrastructure

Internet users85.3%% of population2024higher is better
Mobile subscriptions174per 100 people2024higher is better
Electricity access100%% of population2024higher is better
Slum share of urban population44.7%% of urban population2022higher is worse
Fixed broadband12.1per 100 people2024higher is better

labor

Unemployment8.3%% of labor force2025higher is worse
Female labor participation14%% of women 15+2025no agreed direction
Male labor participation67.2%% of men 15+2025no agreed direction
Youth not in work or study24.3%% of 15 to 24 year olds2024higher is worse
Vulnerable employment39.5%% of employment2025higher is worse

wellbeing

Interpersonal trust14.8%% of respondents2022higher is better
Self-reported happiness69.6%% of respondents2022higher is better
Life satisfaction5.15score (0-10)2025higher is better

Values are the most recent in 2010–2025, and different measures can come from different years. The year is shown beside each. Nothing here ranks countries by merit. An area score averages whatever measures its publishers happen to collect, and the choice of what to collect is itself a judgement made by someone else. All countries · How the country data works

Countries to compare with Iran, Islamic Rep.

Also in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Arab Rep., Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, West Bank and Gaza, Yemen, Rep..

Also upper middle income, in other regions: Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Cabo Verde, China, Colombia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Fed. Sts., Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, and more on the full list of countries.