Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
12.06 (2024, World Bank)
Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total
10.9 million (2023 est.)
Communications: Broadcast media
state-run broadcast media with no private, independent broadcasters; Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the state-run TV broadcaster, operates over 60 television channels, over 50 radio stations, and dozens of newspapers and websites; about 20 foreign Persian-language TV stations broadcasting on satellite TV can be seen in Iran; satellite dishes are illegal and sometimes confiscated; most major international broadcasters transmit to Iran (2023)
Communications: Internet country code
.ir
Communications: Internet users: percent of population
85.3% (2024, World Bank)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
30.83 (2024, World Bank)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions
29.02 million (2023 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
174.07 (2024, World Bank)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions
159 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Agricultural products
wheat, sugarcane, milk, sugar beets, rice, tomatoes, barley, potatoes, oranges, apples (2023)
Economy: Average household expenditures: on alcohol and tobacco
0.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Economy: Average household expenditures: on food
27.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Economy: Budget: expenditures
$90.238 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Budget: revenues
$60.714 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2024
$12.481 billion (2000, World Bank)
Economy: Debt - external: Debt - external 2023
$9.654 billion (2024, World Bank)
Economy: Exchange rates: Currency
Iranian rials (IRR) per US dollar -
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2019
42,000 (2019 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2020
42,000 (2020 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2021
42,000 (2021 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2022
42,000 (2022 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2023
42,000 (2023 est.)
Economy: Exports - commodities
plastics, iron ore, alcohols, natural gas, refined copper (2023)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2022
$105.752 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2023
$97.924 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2024
$93.407 billion (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: exports of goods and services
25.8% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: government consumption
13.3% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption
53.7% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: imports of goods and services
34.5% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in fixed capital
28.8% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in inventories
13.3% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture
10.6% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: industry
39.6% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: services
47.1% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP - per capita (PPP)
$19,699 (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP (official exchange rate)
$362.682 billion (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP (purchasing power parity) - real
$1.556 trillion (2025, World Bank)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2023
35.9 (2023 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2024
35.90 (2023, World Bank)
Economy: Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%
28.2% (2023, World Bank)
Economy: Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
2.8% (2023, World Bank)
Economy: Imports - commodities
broadcasting equipment, vehicle parts/accessories, corn, soybeans, vehicle bodies (2023)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2022
$97.729 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2023
$113.21 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2024
$125.083 billion (2025, World Bank)
Economy: Industrial production growth rate
2.8% (2024 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
43.5% (2022 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
44.6% (2023 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
42.2% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: Labor force
29,521,716 (2025, World Bank)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2017
39.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
$1.373 trillion (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
$1.442 trillion (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
$1.556 trillion (2025, World Bank)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2022
3.8% (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2023
5% (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024
-2.8% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2022
$15,300 (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2023
$15,900 (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2021
0% of GDP (2021 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2022
0% of GDP (2022 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2023
0% of GDP (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2024
0.5% of GDP (2004, World Bank)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
$7.685 billion (1982, World Bank)
Economy: Taxes and other revenues
25.4% of GDP (2009, World Bank)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2022
9.1% (2022 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2023
9.1% (2023 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2024
8.3% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): female
32.0% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): male
19.3% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total
21.9% (2025, World Bank)
Energy: Coal: consumption
3.032 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: exports
212,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: imports
1.098 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: production
2.209 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: proven reserves
1.203 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - rural areas
100.0% (2024, World Bank)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - total population
100.0% (2024, World Bank)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - urban areas
100.0% (2024, World Bank)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels
94.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: hydroelectricity
3.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: nuclear
1.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: solar
0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: wind
0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: consumption
335.175 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: exports
5.723 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: imports
3.136 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: installed generating capacity
86.058 million kW (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: transmission/distribution losses
37.948 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023
160.779 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: consumption
252.353 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: exports
14.698 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: imports
2.274 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: production
265.088 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: proven reserves
33.987 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Energy: Nuclear energy: Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors
0.92GW (2025 est.)
Energy: Nuclear energy: Number of nuclear reactors under construction
1 (2025)
Energy: Nuclear energy: Number of operational nuclear reactors
1 (2025)
Energy: Nuclear energy: Percent of total electricity production
1.7% (2023 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: crude oil estimated reserves
208.6 billion barrels (2021 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: refined petroleum consumption
2.415 million bbl/day (2023 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: total petroleum production
4.112 million bbl/day (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from coal and metallurgical coke
7.136 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from consumed natural gas
499.306 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from petroleum and other liquids
316.922 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions
823.364 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Climate
mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast
Environment: Environmental issues
air pollution, especially in urban areas, from vehicle emissions, refinery operations, and industrial effluents; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; oil pollution in the Persian Gulf; wetland losses from drought; soil degradation (salination); inadequate potable water; water pollution from raw sewage and industrial waste
Environment: Geoparks: global geoparks and regional networks
Aras; Qeshm Island; Tabas (2023)
Environment: Geoparks: total global geoparks and regional networks
3
Environment: International environmental agreements: party to
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
Environment: International environmental agreements: signed, but not ratified
Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Environment: Land use: agricultural land
29.0% (2023, World Bank)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
9.7% (2023, World Bank)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 1.2% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 18.2% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: forest
6.6% (2023, World Bank)
Environment: Land use: other
64.4% (2023 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: agriculture
819.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: energy
6,208.1 kt (2022-2024 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: other
37.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: waste
832.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Particulate matter emissions
36.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Environment: Total renewable water resources
137 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: agricultural
86 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: industrial
1.1 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: municipal
6.2 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
1.32% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: urban population
77.4% (2025, World Bank)
Environment: Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually
17.885 million tons (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: percent of municipal solid waste recycled
16.8% (2022 est.)
Geography: Area - comparative
almost 2.5 times the size of Texas; slightly smaller than Alaska
Geography: Area: land
1,531,595 sq km
Geography: Area: water
116,600 sq km
Geography: Coastline
2,440 km
Geography: Elevation: highest point
Kuh-e Damavand 5,625 m
Geography: Elevation: lowest point
Caspian Sea -28 m
Geography: Elevation: mean elevation
1,305 m
Geography: Geographic coordinates
32 00 N, 53 00 E
Geography: Geography - note
strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz
Geography: Irrigated land
79,721 sq km (2020)
Geography: Land boundaries: border countries
Afghanistan 921 km; Armenia 44 km; Azerbaijan 689 km; Iraq 1,599 km; Pakistan 959 km; Turkey 534 km; Turkmenistan 1,148 km
Geography: Land boundaries: total
5,894 km
Geography: Land use: agricultural land
29% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 9.7% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 1.2% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 18.2% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: forest
6.6% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: other
64.4% (2023 est.)
Geography: Major lakes (area sq km): salt water lake(s)
Caspian Sea (shared with Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan) - 374,000 sq km; Lake Urmia - 5,200 sq km; Lake Namak - 750 sq km
Geography: Major rivers (by length in km)
Euphrates (shared with Turkey [s], Syria, and Iraq [m]) - 3,596 km; Tigris (shared with Turkey, Syria, and Iraq [m]) - 1,950 km; Helmand (shared with Afghanistan [s]) - 1,130 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Geography: Major watersheds (area sq km): Indian Ocean drainage
(Persian Gulf) Tigris and Euphrates (918,044 sq km)
Geography: Map references
Middle East
Geography: Maritime claims: contiguous zone
24 nm
Geography: Maritime claims: continental shelf
natural prolongation
Geography: Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone
bilateral agreements or median lines in the Persian Gulf
Geography: Maritime claims: territorial sea
12 nm
Geography: Natural hazards
periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes
Geography: Population distribution
population is concentrated in the north, northwest, and west, reflecting the position of the Zagros and Elburz Mountains; the vast, dry areas in the center and eastern parts of the country, around the deserts of the Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut, have a much lower population density
Geography: Terrain
rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
Government: Administrative divisions
31 provinces ( ostanha , singular - ostan ); Alborz, Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e Gharbi (West Azerbaijan), Azarbayjan-e Sharqi (East Azerbaijan), Bushehr, Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Golestan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Kermanshah, Khorasan-e Jonubi (South Khorasan), Khorasan-e Razavi (Razavi Khorasan), Khorasan-e Shomali (North Khorasan), Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh va Bowyer Ahmad, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan
Government: Capital: daylight saving time
does not observe daylight savings time
Government: Capital: etymology
the name probably means "flat" or "lower," referring to its location in the foothills of the Elburz Mountains
Government: Capital: geographic coordinates
35 42 N, 51 25 E
Government: Capital: time difference
UTC+3.5 (8.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC)
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by birth
no
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by descent only
the father must be a citizen of Iran
Government: Citizenship: dual citizenship recognized
no
Government: Citizenship: residency requirement for naturalization
5 years
Government: Constitution: amendment process
proposed by the supreme leader – after consultation with the Exigency Council – and submitted as an edict to the "Council for Revision of the Constitution," a body consisting of various executive, legislative, judicial, and academic leaders and members; passage requires absolute majority vote in a referendum and approval of the supreme leader; articles including Iran’s political system, its religious basis, and its form of government cannot be amended
Government: Constitution: history
previous 1906; latest adopted 24 October 1979, effective 3 December 1979
Government: Country name: conventional short form
Iran
Government: Country name: etymology
the name derives from the Sanskrit word arya , referring to people living in a mountainous land, from the root word ar -, or "mountain;" the former name, Persia, was originally "Pars" (or the Arabic-influenced variant "Fars") from the Old Persian parsi , meaning "pure"
Government: Country name: former
Persia
Government: Country name: local long form
Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran
Government: Country name: local short form
Iran
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy
none; the US Interests Section is located in the Embassy of Switzerland; US Foreign Interests Section, Embassy of Switzerland, Pasdaran, Shahid Mousavi Street (Golestan 5th), Corner of Paydarfard Street, No. 55, Tehran
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US
none note : Iran has an Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy; address: Iranian Interests Section, Embassy of Pakistan, 1250 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20037; telephone: [1] (202) 965-4990; FAX [1] (202) 965-1073; email: requests@daftar.org; info@daftarwashington.com; website: https://daftar.org/
Government: Executive branch: cabinet
Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative approval; the supreme leader has some control over appointments to several ministries
Government: Executive branch: chief of state
Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989)
Government: Executive branch: election results
2024: first round results - Masoud PEZESHKIAN (independent) 44.4%, Saeed JALILI (Front of Islamic Revolution Stability) 40.4%, Mohammad Baqer QAKIBAF (Progress and Justice Population of Islamic Iran) 14.3%, other 0.9%; second round results - Masoud PEZESHKIAN elected; Masoud PEZESHKIAN 54.8%, Saeed JALILI 45.2% 2021: Ebrahim RAISI elected president; percent of vote - Ebrahim RAISI (independent) 72.4%, Mohsen REZAI (RFII) 13.8%, Abbdolnaser HEMATI (ECP) 9.8%, Amir-Hosein Qazizadeh-HASHEMI (Islamic Law Party) 4%
Government: Executive branch: election/appointment process
supreme leader appointed for life by Assembly of Experts; president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term and an additional nonconsecutive term)
Government: Executive branch: head of government
President Masoud PEZESHKIAN (since 30 July 2024)
Government: Executive branch: most recent election date
28 June 2024, with runoff held on 5 July 2024
Government: Flag
description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; centered in the white band is the red national emblem, a stylization of the word Allah in the shape of a tulip (a symbol of martyrdom); ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) in white Arabic script is repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along the top edge of the red band meaning: green is the color of Islam and also represents growth, white stands for honesty and peace, and red for bravery and martyrdom
Government: International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Government: International organization participation
BRICS, CICA, CP, D-8, ECO, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, SAARC (observer), SCO (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Government: Judicial branch: highest court(s)
Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and organized into 42 two-bench branches, each with a justice and a judge)
Government: Judicial branch: judge selection and term of office
Supreme Court president appointed by the head of the High Judicial Council (HJC), a 5-member body to include the Supreme Court chief justice, the prosecutor general, and 3 clergy, in consultation with judges of the Supreme Court; president appointed for a single, renewable 5-year term; other judges appointed by the HJC; judge tenure NA
Government: Judicial branch: subordinate courts
Penal Courts I and II; Islamic Revolutionary Courts; Courts of Peace; Special Clerical Court (functions outside the judicial system and handles cases involving clerics); military courts
Government: Legal system
religious system based on secular and Islamic law
Government: Legislative branch: electoral system
plurality/majority
Government: Legislative branch: expected date of next election
February 2028
Government: Legislative branch: legislative structure
unicameral
Government: Legislative branch: legislature name
Islamic Parliament of Iran (Majles Shoraye Eslami)
Government: Legislative branch: most recent election date
3/1/2024 to 5/10/2024
Government: Legislative branch: number of seats
290 (all directly elected)
Government: Legislative branch: percentage of women in chamber
4.9%
Government: Legislative branch: scope of elections
full renewal
Government: Legislative branch: term in office
4 years
Government: National anthem(s): history
adopted 1990
Government: National anthem(s): lyrics/music
multiple authors/Hassan RIAHI
Government: National color(s)
green, white, red
Government: National heritage: selected World Heritage Site locales
Persepolis (c); Tchogha Zanbil (c); Bam and its Cultural Landscape (c); Golestan Palace (c); Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System (c); Pasargadae (c); Hyrcanian Forests (n); Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex (c); Meidan Emam, Esfahan (c); Bisotun (c); Takht-e Soleyman (c); Soltaniyeh(c); Bisotun (c); Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran(c); Sheikh Safi al-din Khānegāh and Shrine Ensemble in Ardabil (c); The Persian Garden (c); Gonbad-e Qābus (c); Masjed-e Jāmé of Isfahan (c); Shahr-i Sokhta (c); Cultural Landscape of Maymand (c); Susa (c); Lut Desert (n);The Persian Qanat (c); Historic City of Yazd (c); Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region (c); Cultural Landscape of Hawraman/Uramanat (c); Trans-Iranian Railway (c); The Persian Caravanserai (c); Hegmataneh (c); Prehistoric Sites of the Khorramabad Valley (c)
Government: National heritage: total World Heritage Sites
29 (27 cultural, 2 natural)
Government: National holiday
Republic Day, 1 April (1979)
Government: National symbol(s)
lion
Government: Political parties
Combatant Clergy Association (an active political group) Executives of Construction Party Front of Islamic Revolutionary Stability Islamic Coalition Party Progress and Justice Population of Islamic Iran Militant Clerics Society (Majma-e Ruhaniyoun-e Mobarez) or MRM Moderation and Development Party National Trust Party (Hezb-e E'temad-eMelli) or HEM Progress and Justice Society Union of Islamic Iran People's Party (Hezb-e Ettehad-e Iran-e Eslami)
Government: Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Introduction: Background
Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and Shah Mohammad Reza PAHLAVI was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces led by Ayatollah Ruhollah KHOMEINI established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority vested in a religious scholar known as the Supreme Leader, who is accountable only to the Assembly of Experts -- an elected 88-member body of clerics. US-Iran relations became strained when Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran in November 1979 and held embassy personnel hostage until mid-January 1981. The US cut off diplomatic relations with Iran in April 1980. From 1980 to 1988, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashes between US Navy and Iranian military forces. Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism since 1984. After the election of reformer Hojjat ol-Eslam Mohammad KHATAMI as president in 1997 and a reformist Majles (legislature) in 2000, a political reform campaign in response to popular dissatisfaction was initiated, but conservative politicians blocked reform measures while increasing repression. Municipal and legislative elections in 2003 and 2004 saw conservatives reestablish control over Iran's elected government institutions, culminating in the 2005 inauguration of hardliner Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD as president. His reelection in 2009 sparked nationwide protests over allegations of electoral fraud, and the protests persisted until 2011. In 2013, Iranians elected to the presidency centrist cleric Dr. Hasan Fereidun RUHANI, a longtime senior regime member who promised to reform society and foreign policy. In 2019, Tehran's sudden decision to increase the gasoline price sparked nationwide protests, which the regime violently suppressed. Conservatives won the majority in Majles elections in 2020, and hardline cleric Ebrahim RAISI was elected president in 2021, resulting in a conservative monopoly across the regime's elected and unelected institutions. Iran continues to be subject to a range of international sanctions and export controls because of its involvement in terrorism, weapons proliferation, human rights abuses, and concerns over the nature of its nuclear program. Iran received nuclear-related sanctions relief in exchange for nuclear concessions under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action's (JCPOA) Implementation Day beginning in 2016. However, the US reimposed nuclear-related sanctions on Iran after it unilaterally terminated its JCPOA participation in 2018. In October 2023, the EU and the UK also decided to maintain nuclear-proliferation-related measures on Iran, as well as arms and missile embargoes, in response to Iran's non-compliance with its JCPOA commitments. As president, RAISI has concentrated on deepening Iran's foreign relations with anti-US states -- particularly China and Russia -- to weather US sanctions and diplomatic pressure, while supporting negotiations to restore a nuclear deal that began in 2021. RAISI contended with nationwide protests that began in September 2022 and persisted for over three months after the death of a Kurdish Iranian woman, Mahsa AMINI, in morality police custody. Young people and women led the protests, and demands focused on regime change.
Military and Security: Military - note
the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was formed in May 1979 in the immediate aftermath of Shah Mohammad Reza PAHLAVI’s fall, as leftists, nationalists, and Islamists jockeyed for power; while the interim prime minister controlled the government and state institutions, such as the Army, followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah KHOMEINI organized counterweights, including the IRGC, to protect the Islamic revolution; the IRGC’s command structure bypassed the elected president and went directly to KHOMEINI; the IRGC played a critical role in helping KHOMEINI consolidate power in the aftermath of the 1979 revolution, and it ensured that KHOMEINI's Islamic revolutionary vision prevailed against domestic challenges from nationalists and leftist factions in the scramble for control after the Shah's departure the Iran-Iraq War (1980–88) transformed the IRGC into more of a conventional fighting force with its own ground, air, naval, and special forces, plus control over Iran’s strategic missile and rocket forces; today, the IRGC is a highly institutionalized and parallel military force to Iran’s regular armed forces (Artesh); it is involved in internal security and has influence in the political and economic spheres of Iranian society, as well as Iran’s foreign policy; on the economic front, it owns factories and corporations and subsidiaries in banking, infrastructure, housing, airlines, tourism and other sectors; its special operations forces, known as the Qods/Quds Force, specialize in foreign missions and have provided advice, funding, guidance, material support, training, and weapons to militants in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, as well as extremist groups, including HAMAS, Hizballah, Kata’ib Hizballah, and Palestine Islamic Jihad; the Qods Force also conducts intelligence and reconnaissance operations; note - both the IRGC and the Qods Force have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the US (see Terrorist Organizations under References) the Supreme Council for National Security (SCNS) is the senior-most body for formulating Iran’s foreign and security policy; it is formally chaired by the president, who also appoints the SCNS secretary; its members include the speaker of the Majles, the head of the judiciary, the chief of the Armed Forces General Staff (chief of defense or CHOD), the commanders of the Artesh (regular forces) and IRGC, and the ministers of defense, foreign affairs, interior, and intelligence; the SCNS reports to the supreme leader; the supreme leader is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces the Iranian Armed Forces are divided between the regular forces (Artesh) and the IRGC; the Artesh primarily focuses on defending Iran’s borders and territorial waters from external threats, while the IRGC has a broader mission to defend the Iranian revolution from any foreign or domestic threat; in 1989, Iran established the Armed Forces General Staff to coordinate military action across both the Artesh and the IRGC; Iran also has a joint military headquarters, the Khatam ol-Anbia Central Headquarters, to command the Artesh and IRGC in wartime (2024)
Military and Security: Military and security forces
the military forces of Iran are divided between the Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC or Sepah): Artesh: Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines), Air Force, Air Defense Forces IRGC: Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines), Aerospace Force (controls strategic missile force), Qods Force (aka Quds Force; special operations), Cyber Electronic Command, Basij Paramilitary Forces Ministry of Interior: Law Enforcement Command (FARAJA) Ministry of Intelligence and Security (2025)
Military and Security: Military and security service personnel strengths
information varies; up to 600,000 total active armed forces personnel; estimated 400,000 Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (350,000 Ground Forces; 18,000 Navy; 40,000 Air Force/Air Defense Forces); up to estimated 190,000 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (100-150,000 Ground Forces; 20,000 Navy; 15,000 Aerospace Force; 5,000 Qods Force); estimated 90,000 active Basij Paramilitary Forces (2025)
Military and Security: Military deployments
note: Iran maintained a military presence in Syria and recruited, trained, and funded thousands of Syrian and foreign fighters to support the ASAD regime during the Syrian civil war (2011-December 2024)
Military and Security: Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the Iranian military's inventory includes a mix of domestically produced and foreign equipment largely of Chinese, Russian/Soviet, and US origin (US equipment acquired prior to the Islamic Revolution in 1979); it also has some military equipment from North Korea such as midget submarines and ballistic missiles; in recent years, Iran has received some newer equipment from Russia; Iran has a defense industry with the capacity to develop, produce, support, and sustain air, land, missile, and naval weapons programs (2025)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2020
2.1% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2021
2.3% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2022
2.5% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2023
2.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2024
2% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2025
2.0% of GDP (2024, World Bank)
Military and Security: Military service age and obligation
16 for voluntary military service for men; military service is compulsory for all Iranian men at age 18 or 19 years of age; compulsory service obligation 14-21 months, depending on the location of service; women exempted from conscription but may volunteer (2025)
People and Society: Age structure: 0-14 years
22.0% (2025, World Bank)
People and Society: Age structure: 15-64 years
69.4% (2025, World Bank)
People and Society: Age structure: 65 years and over
8.6% (2025, World Bank)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: beer
0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: other alcohols
0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: spirits
0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: total
0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: wine
0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Birth rate
12.57 (2024, World Bank)
People and Society: Children under the age of 5 years underweight
4.3% (2017 est.)
People and Society: Contraceptive prevalence rate
77.4% (2010, World Bank)
People and Society: Current health expenditure
6.0% of GDP (2023, World Bank)
People and Society: Currently married women (ages 15-49)
69.6% (2022 est.)
People and Society: Death rate
4.75 (2024, World Bank)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: elderly dependency ratio
12.4 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: potential support ratio
8.1 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio
42.8 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: youth dependency ratio
30.4 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: rural
rural: 94.4% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: total
97.9% (2024, World Bank)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: urban
urban: 98.7% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: rural
rural: 5.6% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: total
total: 2.3% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: urban
urban: 1.3% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% GDP)
2.8% of GDP (2023 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% national budget)
18.8% national budget (2022 est.)
People and Society: Ethnic groups
Persian, Azeri, Kurd, Lur, Baloch, Arab, Turkmen, and Turkic tribes
People and Society: Gross reproduction rate
0.74 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
5.8% of GDP (2021)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
19% of national budget (2022 est.)
People and Society: Hospital bed density
1.85 (2019, World Bank)
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: female
9.70 (2024, World Bank)
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: male
10.90 (2024, World Bank)
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: total
10.30 (2024, World Bank)
People and Society: Languages: Languages
Persian Farsi (official), Azeri and other Turkic dialects, Kurdish, Gilaki and Mazandarani, Luri, Balochi, Arabic
People and Society: Languages: major-language sample(s)
چکیده نامه جهان، منبعی ضروری برای کسب اطلاعات کلی جهان (Persian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: female
79.81 (2024, World Bank)
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: male
76.00 (2024, World Bank)
People and Society: Literacy: female
85.1% (2023, World Bank)
People and Society: Literacy: male
92.8% (2023, World Bank)
People and Society: Literacy: total population
88.9% (2023, World Bank)
People and Society: Major urban areas - population
9.500 million TEHRAN (capital), 3.368 million Mashhad, 2.258 million Esfahan, 1.721 million Shiraz, 1.661 million Tabriz, 1.594 million Karaj (2023)
People and Society: Maternal mortality ratio
16.00 (2023, World Bank)
People and Society: Median age: female
34.1 years
People and Society: Median age: male
33.6 years
People and Society: Nationality: adjective
Iranian
People and Society: Net migration rate
-15.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Obesity - adult prevalence rate
25.8% (2016)
People and Society: Physician density
1.81 (2023, World Bank)
People and Society: Population
92,417,681 (2025, World Bank)
People and Society: Population distribution
population is concentrated in the north, northwest, and west, reflecting the position of the Zagros and Elburz Mountains; the vast, dry areas in the center and eastern parts of the country, around the deserts of the Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut, have a much lower population density
People and Society: Population growth rate
0.9% (2025, World Bank)
People and Society: Population: female
45,470,197 (2025, World Bank)
People and Society: Population: male
46,947,484 (2025, World Bank)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: rural
rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: total
90.5% (2024, World Bank)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: urban
urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: rural
rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: total
total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: urban
urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): female
14 years (2020 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): male
14 years (2020 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total
14 years (2020 est.)
People and Society: Sex ratio: 0-14 years
1.05 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 15-64 years
1.04 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 65 years and over
0.87 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: total population
1.03 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: female
2.8% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: male
23.8% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: total
13.3% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Total fertility rate
1.68 (2024, World Bank)
People and Society: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
1.4% (2025, World Bank)
People and Society: Urbanization: urban population
77.4% (2025, World Bank)
Space: Key space-program milestones
1998 - began development of 2-stage satellite/space launch vehicle (SLV) (Safir) 2006 - first successful launch of a small, domestically produced communications and research satellite (Omid) on the Safir SLV 2010 - began developing a more capable 2-stage orbital SLV (Simorgh; aka Safir-2) 2011 - launched first domestically produced remote sensing (RS) satellite (Rasad) on Safir SLV 2020 - placed RS microsatellite (Noor) in orbit on 3-stage SLV (Qased or Messenger) 2021 - first launch of road-mobile 3-stage SLV (Zuljanah) 2022 - completed suborbital test of new small-lift SLV (Quam-100)
Space: Space agency/agencies
Iranian Space Agency (ISA; created in 2003); Iran Space Research Center (ISRC; established, 2000); Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - Aerospace Force (IRGC-ARF) (2024)
Space: Space launch site(s)
Imam Khomeini Space Center (aka Semnan Space Center; Semnan province); Shahroud Space Center (Semnan Province; IRGC-operated); Chabahar Space Center (Sistan and Baluchistan Province; under development) (2025)
Space: Space program overview
has an ambitious civil and military space program focused on satellites and satellite launch vehicles (SLV); designs, builds, and operates satellites, including communications, remote sensing (RS), and scientific; manufactures and operates SLVs; researching and developing other space-related capabilities and technologies in areas such as telecommunications, RS, navigation, and space situational awareness; international sanctions against Iran’s weapons of mass destruction program have severely limited Iran’s cooperation with foreign space agencies and commercial space industries; in recent years, however, it has worked with North Korea and Russia, as well as regional and international space organizations such as the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization and the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization; Iran was a founding member of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) in 1958; has an active private space industry (2025)
Terrorism: Terrorist group(s)
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Jaysh al Adl (Jundallah); Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK); al-Qa’ida
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: IDPs
421 (2024 est.)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees
770,514 (2025, UNHCR)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: stateless persons
34 (2022, UNHCR)
Transnational Issues: Trafficking in persons: tier rating
Tier 3 — Iran does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore, Iran remained on Tier 3; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/iran/
Transportation: Airports
177 (2025)
Transportation: Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
EP
Transportation: Heliports
90 (2025)
Transportation: Merchant marine: by type
bulk carrier 32, container ship 28, general cargo 398, oil tanker 86, other 421
Transportation: Merchant marine: total
965 (2023)
Transportation: Ports: key ports
Abadan, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Khorramshahr
Transportation: Ports: large
0
Transportation: Ports: medium
4
Transportation: Ports: ports with oil terminals
13
Transportation: Ports: small
6
Transportation: Ports: total ports
18 (2024)
Transportation: Ports: very small
8
Transportation: Railways: broad gauge
94 km (2014) 1.676-m gauge
Transportation: Railways: standard gauge
8,389.5 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (189.5 km electrified)
Transportation: Railways: total
8,483.5 km (2014)
Warning: Some information might be outdated or incorrect, please check statistics before using(most of the economical stats are correct, its mostly the Population stats that are incorrect). Some dates are listed but some are missed, if you have any issues please report it to the Github at github.com.