Population in the largest city in Iran, Islamic Republic of
Iran, Islamic Republic of: Population in the largest city was 13.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
13.6%
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
138th
of 153 countries
All-time high
27.6%
in 1976
All-time low
13.6%
in 2025
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Population in the largest city in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
In 2025, population in the largest city in Iran, Islamic Republic of stood at 13.6%. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in the largest city in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 27.6% in 1976 and was at its lowest, 13.6%, in 2025.
That places Iran, Islamic Republic of 138th out of 153 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Population in the largest city in Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 25.7% | — |
| 1961 | 25.9% | +0.9% |
| 1962 | 26.2% | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 26.4% | +0.9% |
| 1964 | 26.7% | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 27.0% | +1.3% |
| 1966 | 27.3% | +1.3% |
| 1967 | 27.2% | -0.6% |
| 1968 | 27.2% | -0.0% |
| 1969 | 27.2% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 27.2% | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 27.2% | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 27.3% | +0.2% |
| 1973 | 27.3% | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 27.4% | +0.2% |
| 1975 | 27.4% | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 27.6% | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 27.2% | -1.5% |
| 1978 | 26.7% | -2.0% |
| 1979 | 26.1% | -2.1% |
| 1980 | 25.5% | -2.3% |
| 1981 | 24.6% | -3.8% |
| 1982 | 23.6% | -3.9% |
| 1983 | 23.0% | -2.5% |
| 1984 | 22.5% | -2.3% |
| 1985 | 22.0% | -2.2% |
| 1986 | 21.6% | -2.0% |
| 1987 | 20.9% | -3.1% |
| 1988 | 20.3% | -2.8% |
| 1989 | 19.8% | -2.5% |
| 1990 | 19.3% | -2.5% |
| 1991 | 18.9% | -2.1% |
| 1992 | 18.4% | -2.6% |
| 1993 | 18.2% | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 18.1% | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 17.8% | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 17.6% | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 17.3% | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 17.1% | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 16.9% | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 16.6% | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 16.4% | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 16.4% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 16.2% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 16.0% | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 15.7% | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 15.5% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 15.3% | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 15.1% | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 14.9% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 14.7% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 14.6% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 14.4% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 14.3% | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 14.2% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 14.1% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 14.0% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 13.9% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 13.8% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 13.8% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 13.8% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 13.8% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 13.7% | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 13.7% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 13.6% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 13.6% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 26.7% | 25.7% | 27.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 27.1% | 26.1% | 27.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 22.4% | 19.8% | 25.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.0% | 16.9% | 19.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.8% | 14.9% | 16.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.2% | 13.8% | 14.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.7% | 13.6% | 13.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran, Islamic Republic of
- 135 Mozambique 15.0% compare
- 136 Sri Lanka 14.6% compare
- 137 Uzbekistan 14.1% compare
- 139 Brazil 12.3% compare
- 140 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 11.8% compare
- 141 Russian Federation 11.8% compare
More urban development data for Iran, Islamic Republic of
- Population density 55.85 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- 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 in the largest city in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Population in the largest city in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 13.6% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in the largest city recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The highest recorded value was 27.6% in 1976.
- What is the lowest population in the largest city recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.6% in 2025.
- How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for population in the largest city?
- Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 138th out of 153 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in the largest city rising or falling in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iran, Islamic Republic of data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in the largest city (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.