Urban population, annual growth rate in Iran
Iran: Urban population, annual growth rate was 1.39 % change on previous year in 2025. ▼ Falling
Urban population, annual growth rate in Iran, 1961–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in % change on previous year.
Analysis
Iran recorded 1.39 % change on previous year for urban population, annual growth rate in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.8% on the previous year and down 33.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population, annual growth rate in Iran peaked at 6.95 % change on previous year in 1982 and was at its lowest, 1.3 % change on previous year, in 2020.
Iran ranks 102nd of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Urban population, annual growth rate in Iran, year by year
| Year | % change on previous year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 5.04 % change on previous year | — |
| 1962 | 5.05 % change on previous year | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 5.07 % change on previous year | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 5.09 % change on previous year | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 4.66 % change on previous year | -8.5% |
| 1966 | 4.73 % change on previous year | +1.5% |
| 1967 | 6.25 % change on previous year | +32.1% |
| 1968 | 5.38 % change on previous year | -13.8% |
| 1969 | 5.36 % change on previous year | -0.5% |
| 1970 | 5.36 % change on previous year | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 5.27 % change on previous year | -1.6% |
| 1972 | 5.17 % change on previous year | -1.9% |
| 1973 | 5.14 % change on previous year | -0.7% |
| 1974 | 5.14 % change on previous year | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 5.17 % change on previous year | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 4.58 % change on previous year | -11.4% |
| 1977 | 5.33 % change on previous year | +16.4% |
| 1978 | 4.89 % change on previous year | -8.2% |
| 1979 | 5.05 % change on previous year | +3.2% |
| 1980 | 5.22 % change on previous year | +3.4% |
| 1981 | 6.92 % change on previous year | +32.6% |
| 1982 | 6.95 % change on previous year | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 5.44 % change on previous year | -21.7% |
| 1984 | 5.28 % change on previous year | -2.9% |
| 1985 | 5.16 % change on previous year | -2.2% |
| 1986 | 4.89 % change on previous year | -5.2% |
| 1987 | 4.94 % change on previous year | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 4.3 % change on previous year | -13.0% |
| 1989 | 3.98 % change on previous year | -7.4% |
| 1990 | 3.97 % change on previous year | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 3.55 % change on previous year | -10.5% |
| 1992 | 3.7 % change on previous year | +4.3% |
| 1993 | 1.82 % change on previous year | -50.7% |
| 1994 | 1.65 % change on previous year | -9.3% |
| 1995 | 2.59 % change on previous year | +56.6% |
| 1996 | 2.16 % change on previous year | -16.8% |
| 1997 | 2.95 % change on previous year | +36.9% |
| 1998 | 2.67 % change on previous year | -9.3% |
| 1999 | 2.73 % change on previous year | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 2.71 % change on previous year | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 2.72 % change on previous year | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 1.93 % change on previous year | -29.1% |
| 2003 | 2.15 % change on previous year | +11.8% |
| 2004 | 3.16 % change on previous year | +46.8% |
| 2005 | 3.17 % change on previous year | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 2.84 % change on previous year | -10.5% |
| 2007 | 2.39 % change on previous year | -15.9% |
| 2008 | 2.06 % change on previous year | -13.5% |
| 2009 | 2.14 % change on previous year | +3.7% |
| 2010 | 2.16 % change on previous year | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 2.1 % change on previous year | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 2.05 % change on previous year | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 2.08 % change on previous year | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 2.09 % change on previous year | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 2.1 % change on previous year | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 2.17 % change on previous year | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 2.17 % change on previous year | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 1.83 % change on previous year | -15.4% |
| 2019 | 1.63 % change on previous year | -11.2% |
| 2020 | 1.3 % change on previous year | -20.0% |
| 2021 | 1.36 % change on previous year | +4.6% |
| 2022 | 1.66 % change on previous year | +22.3% |
| 2023 | 1.66 % change on previous year | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 1.51 % change on previous year | -9.2% |
| 2025 | 1.39 % change on previous year | -7.8% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 1.39 % change on previous year is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.9601 % change on previous year, 1.5× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Iran's 1.39 % change on previous year is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.94 % change on previous year, 72% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban population, annual growth rate in Iran changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +56.6% | 1.65 % change on previous year | 2.59 % change on previous year |
| 1993 | -50.7% | 3.7 % change on previous year | 1.82 % change on previous year |
| 2004 | +46.8% | 2.15 % change on previous year | 3.16 % change on previous year |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.18 % change on previous year | 4.66 % change on previous year | 6.25 % change on previous year | 9 |
| 1970s | 5.11 % change on previous year | 4.58 % change on previous year | 5.36 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.31 % change on previous year | 3.98 % change on previous year | 6.95 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.78 % change on previous year | 1.65 % change on previous year | 3.97 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.53 % change on previous year | 1.93 % change on previous year | 3.17 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.04 % change on previous year | 1.63 % change on previous year | 2.17 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.48 % change on previous year | 1.3 % change on previous year | 1.66 % change on previous year | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 99 Thailand 1.44 % change on previous year compare
- 100 Djibouti 1.41 % change on previous year compare
- 101 Philippines 1.4 % change on previous year compare
- 103 Colombia 1.36 % change on previous year compare
- 104 South Africa 1.35 % change on previous year compare
- 105 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 1.32 % change on previous year compare
More climate change data for Iran
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.8% (2100)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.9283 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.7738 units per person (2025)
- Precipitation anomalies, annual growth rate -620.65 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population 71.51 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 1.4% (2025)
- Population, total 92.42 million (2025)
- Population growth 0.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population, annual growth rate in Iran?
- Urban population, annual growth rate in Iran was 1.39 % change on previous year in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban population, annual growth rate recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 6.95 % change on previous year in 1982.
- What is the lowest urban population, annual growth rate recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.3 % change on previous year in 2020.
- How does Iran rank for urban population, annual growth rate?
- Iran ranks 102nd out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population, annual growth rate rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Urban population, annual growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
The year-on-year percentage change in Urban population. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.
Computed from
- Urban population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
The year-on-year percentage change in Urban population. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.