Urban population growth (annual %) in Iran
Iran: Urban population growth (annual %) was 1.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Urban population growth in Iran, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Iran recorded 1.4% for urban population growth in 2025.
The figure is down 7.7% on the previous year and down 33.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in Iran peaked at 6.7% in 1982 and was at its lowest, 1.3%, in 2020.
That places Iran 102nd out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Urban population growth (annual %) in Iran, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4.9% | — |
| 1962 | 4.9% | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 4.9% | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 5.0% | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 4.6% | -8.3% |
| 1966 | 4.6% | +1.5% |
| 1967 | 6.1% | +31.1% |
| 1968 | 5.2% | -13.5% |
| 1969 | 5.2% | -0.5% |
| 1970 | 5.2% | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 5.1% | -1.6% |
| 1972 | 5.0% | -1.8% |
| 1973 | 5.0% | -0.7% |
| 1974 | 5.0% | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 5.0% | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 4.5% | -11.2% |
| 1977 | 5.2% | +16.0% |
| 1978 | 4.8% | -8.0% |
| 1979 | 4.9% | +3.1% |
| 1980 | 5.1% | +3.3% |
| 1981 | 6.7% | +31.5% |
| 1982 | 6.7% | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 5.3% | -21.2% |
| 1984 | 5.1% | -2.9% |
| 1985 | 5.0% | -2.1% |
| 1986 | 4.8% | -5.1% |
| 1987 | 4.8% | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 4.2% | -12.8% |
| 1989 | 3.9% | -7.3% |
| 1990 | 3.9% | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 3.5% | -10.3% |
| 1992 | 3.6% | +4.2% |
| 1993 | 1.8% | -50.3% |
| 1994 | 1.6% | -9.2% |
| 1995 | 2.6% | +55.9% |
| 1996 | 2.1% | -16.6% |
| 1997 | 2.9% | +36.3% |
| 1998 | 2.6% | -9.2% |
| 1999 | 2.7% | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 2.7% | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 2.7% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 1.9% | -28.9% |
| 2003 | 2.1% | +11.6% |
| 2004 | 3.1% | +46.1% |
| 2005 | 3.1% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 2.8% | -10.3% |
| 2007 | 2.4% | -15.8% |
| 2008 | 2.0% | -13.4% |
| 2009 | 2.1% | +3.7% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 2.1% | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 2.0% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 2.1% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 2.1% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 2.1% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 2.1% | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 2.1% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 1.8% | -15.3% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | -11.1% |
| 2020 | 1.3% | -19.8% |
| 2021 | 1.4% | +4.5% |
| 2022 | 1.6% | +22.1% |
| 2023 | 1.7% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 1.5% | -9.1% |
| 2025 | 1.4% | -7.7% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 1.4% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.0%, 1.4× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Iran's 1.4% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.9%, 72% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban population growth (annual %) 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 | +55.9% | 1.6% | 2.6% |
| 1993 | -50.3% | 3.6% | 1.8% |
| 2004 | +46.1% | 2.1% | 3.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.0% | 4.6% | 6.1% | 9 |
| 1970s | 5.0% | 4.5% | 5.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.2% | 3.9% | 6.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.7% | 1.6% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 1.9% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.0% | 1.6% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.5% | 1.3% | 1.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 99 Thailand 1.4% compare
- 100 Djibouti 1.4% compare
- 101 Philippines 1.4% compare
- 103 Colombia 1.3% compare
- 104 South Africa 1.3% compare
- 105 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 1.3% compare
More climate change data for Iran
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.0713 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.08 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.2419 °C (2026)
- 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, annual growth rate 1.39 % change on previous year (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population growth in Iran?
- Urban population growth in Iran was 1.4% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 6.7% in 1982.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.3% in 2020.
- How does Iran rank for urban population growth?
- Iran ranks 102nd out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Annual urban population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear urban population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank total population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.