Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Iran
Iran: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 56.44 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
56.44 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
149th
of 216 countries
All-time high
56.44 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
13.58 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Iran, 1961–2024
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
In 2024, population density in Iran stood at 56.44 people per sq. km of land area. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 12.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Iran peaked at 56.44 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 13.58 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
Iran ranks 149th of 216 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Iran, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 13.58 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 14 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1963 | 14.44 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1964 | 14.9 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1965 | 15.37 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1966 | 15.86 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1967 | 16.35 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1968 | 16.85 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1969 | 17.36 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1970 | 17.89 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1971 | 18.44 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1972 | 18.98 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1973 | 19.55 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1974 | 20.14 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1975 | 20.75 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1976 | 21.39 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1977 | 22.06 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1978 | 22.79 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1979 | 23.59 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 1980 | 24.46 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1981 | 25.78 people per sq. km of land area | +5.4% |
| 1982 | 27.18 people per sq. km of land area | +5.4% |
| 1983 | 28.26 people per sq. km of land area | +4.0% |
| 1984 | 29.34 people per sq. km of land area | +3.8% |
| 1985 | 30.44 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1986 | 31.59 people per sq. km of land area | +3.8% |
| 1987 | 32.74 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 33.81 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1989 | 34.81 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1990 | 35.84 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1991 | 36.83 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1992 | 37.57 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 37.7 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 37.77 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 38.19 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 38.61 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 39.07 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 39.61 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 40.18 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 40.78 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 41.41 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 41.76 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 42.22 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 43.13 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 44.1 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2006 | 45.06 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 45.8 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 46.36 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 46.94 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 47.53 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 48.12 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 48.73 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 49.37 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 50.04 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 50.73 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 51.46 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 52.4 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 53.08 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 53.65 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 54.07 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 54.52 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 55.18 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 55.85 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2024 | 56.44 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 56.44 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 85.13 people per sq. km of land area, 66% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Iran's 56.44 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 117.07 people per sq. km of land area, 48% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 15.41 people per sq. km of land area | 13.58 people per sq. km of land area | 17.36 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 20.56 people per sq. km of land area | 17.89 people per sq. km of land area | 23.59 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 29.84 people per sq. km of land area | 24.46 people per sq. km of land area | 34.81 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 38.14 people per sq. km of land area | 35.84 people per sq. km of land area | 40.18 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.76 people per sq. km of land area | 40.78 people per sq. km of land area | 46.94 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 50.51 people per sq. km of land area | 47.53 people per sq. km of land area | 53.65 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.21 people per sq. km of land area | 54.07 people per sq. km of land area | 56.44 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 146 Bulgaria 59.34 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 147 Liberia 58.27 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 148 Nicaragua 56.7 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 150 Madagascar 54.94 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 151 South Africa 52.76 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 152 Fiji 50.66 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Iran
- Population in the largest city 13.6% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 40.25 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.2522 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 23.31 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 1.2 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 14.02 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 9.73 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 60 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 518.25 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Iran?
- Population density in Iran was 56.44 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 56.44 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.58 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Iran rank for population density?
- Iran ranks 149th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.