> > World Population >> Asia >> West Asia
Iran Population and religion percentage
Iran officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a country in Western Asia. It is the second-largest country by area in the Middle East and the 17th Most populous country in the World. As per the UN World Population Prospects report, the estimated population of Iran in 2024 is 89,809,781 (89 million or 8.9 Crores)
also Read about Top Countries by Population
| Iran | 2022 Population |
| Total Population | 88,550,570 (88 million) |
| Global Rank | 18th |
| Share of World Pop. | 1.08% |
| Land Area | 1,531,595 sq. km (591,352 sq. mi) |
| Area Rank | 17th |
| Pop. Density | 58 person per sq. km |
| Growth rate | 0.70% |
| Fertility Rate* | 2.15 |
| Infant mortality rate** | 10.7 |
| Median Age | 31 years |
| Life Expectancy | 77.33 years |
| Urban Population i | 75.5% |
Religion in Iran
Islam is the majority religion in Iran and Twelver Shia Islam is the official state religion, to which about 90% of the population adhere. About 4% to 8% of the population are Sunni Muslims, mainly Kurds and Balochs.
The remaining 2% are non-Muslim religious minorities, including Christians, Zoroastrians, Jews, Baháʼís, Mandaeans, and Yarsanis.
Around 250,000 to 370,000 Christians reside in Iran, and Christianity is the country’s largest recognized minority religion. Most are of Armenian background, as well as a sizable minority of Assyrians. A large number of Iranians have converted to Christianity from the predominant Shia Islam.
Judaism has a long history in Iran, dating back to the Achaemenid conquest of Babylonia. Although many left in the wake of the establishment of the State of Israel and the 1979 Revolution, about 8,756 to 25,000 Jewish people live in Iran. Iran has the largest Jewish population in the Middle East outside of Israel.
Baháʼís are the largest non-Muslim religious minority in Iran, with an estimated 350,000 adherents. There is a large population of adherents of Yarsanism, a Kurdish indigenous religion, making it the largest (unrecognized) minority religion in Iran. Its followers are mainly Gorani Kurds and certain groups of Lurs. They are based in Kurdistan Province, Kermanshah Province, and Lorestan.
Religion Percentage in Iran
| Religion / Affiliationns | Percentage |
| Islam | 99.40% |
| – Shia Islam | – 89.46% |
| – Sunni Islam | – 9.94% |
| Christianity | 0.4% |
| Zoroastrianism | 0.03% |
| Judaism | 0.02% |
| Others | 0.15% |
Ethnic composition in Iran
Iran’s population is composed of several ethnic groups. The Iranic people make up the majority, comprising approximately 67 to 80% of the population. The largest groups in this category are the Persians, who make up the majority of the Iranian population, and the Kurds. Other groups in this category include the Gilakis, Mazandaranis, Lurs, Tats, Talysh, and Baloch.
Turkic peoples make up a significant minority of about 7 to 24%, with the largest group being the Azerbaijani. They are the second largest ethnic group in Iran, and other Turkic groups include the Turkmen, Qashqai, and Kazakh peoples. Arabs account for about 2 to 3% of the Iranian population, while the remaining 1% comprises various smaller groups such as Assyrians, Armenians, Georgians, Circassians, and Mandaeans.
| Ethnic Group | Percentage Range |
|---|---|
| Iranic Peoples | 67–80% |
| – Persians | 65% |
| – Kurds | 7% |
| – Lurs/Tats/Talysh | 6% |
| – Baloch | 2% |
| Turkic Peoples | 7–24% |
| – Azerbaijani | 16% |
| – Turkmen | 1% |
| – Qashqai | 1% |
| – Kazakh | <1 |
| Arabs | 2–3% |
| Minor Groups | About 1% |
Top Cities in Iran by Population
| # | City | Province | Popultion |
| 1 | Tehran | Tehran | 91,35,000 |
| 2 | Mashhad | Razavi Khorasan | 32,08,000 |
| 3 | Isfahan | Isfahan | 21,32,000 |
| 4 | Karaj | Alborz | 15,92,492 |
| 5 | Shiraz | Fars | 15,65,572 |
| 6 | Tabriz | East Azerbaijan | 15,58,693 |
| 7 | Qom | Qom | 12,88,000 |
| 8 | Ahvaz | Khuzestan | 12,44,000 |
| 9 | Kermanshah | Kermanshah | 10,26,000 |
| 10 | Urmia | West Azerbaijan | 7,93,000 |
| 11 | Rasht | Gilan | 7,13,000 |
| 12 | Zahedan | Sistan and Baluchestan | 6,10,000 |
| 13 | Hamadan | Hamadan | 5,54,405 |
| 14 | Kerman | Kerman | 5,37,718 |
| 15 | Yazd | Yazd | 5,29,673 |
| 16 | Ardabil | Ardabil | 5,29,374 |
| 17 | Bandar Abbas | Hormozgan | 5,26,648 |
| 18 | Arak | Markazi | 5,20,944 |
| 19 | Eslamshahr | Tehran | 4,48,129 |
| 20 | Zanjan | Zanjan | 4,30,871 |
| 21 | Sanandaj | Kurdistan | 4,12,767 |
| 22 | Qazvin | Qazvin | 4,02,748 |
| 23 | Khorramabad | Lorestan | 3,73,416 |
| 24 | Gorgan | Golestan | 3,50,676 |
| 25 | Sari | Mazandaran | 3,09,820 |
| 26 | Shahriar | Tehran | 3,09,607 |
| 27 | Qods | Tehran | 3,09,605 |
| 28 | Kashan | Isfahan | 3,04,487 |
| 29 | Malard | Tehran | 2,81,027 |
| 30 | Dezful | Khuzestan | 2,64,709 |
| 31 | Nishapur | Razavi Khorasan | 2,64,375 |
| 32 | Babol | Mazandaran | 2,50,217 |
| 33 | Khomeyni Shahr | Isfahan | 2,47,128 |
| 34 | Sabzevar | Razavi Khorasan | 2,43,700 |
| 35 | Golestan | Tehran | 2,39,556 |
| 36 | Amol | Mazandaran | 2,37,528 |
| 37 | Pakdasht | Tehran | 2,36,319 |
| 38 | Najafabad | Isfahan | 2,35,281 |
| 39 | Borujerd | Lorestan | 2,34,997 |
| 40 | Abadan | Khuzestan | 2,31,476 |
| 41 | Qarchak | Tehran | 2,31,075 |
| 42 | Bojnord | North Khorasan | 2,28,931 |
| 43 | Varamin | Tehran | 2,25,628 |
| 44 | Bushehr | Bushehr | 2,23,504 |
| 45 | Saveh | Markazi | 2,20,762 |
| 46 | Qaem Shahr | Mazandaran | 2,04,953 |
| 47 | Birjand | South Khorasan | 2,03,636 |
| 48 | Nasimshahr | Tehran | 2,00,393 |
| 49 | Sirjan | Kerman | 1,99,704 |
| 50 | Khoy | West Azerbaijan | 1,98,845 |
| 51 | Ilam | Ilam | 1,94,030 |
Source: 2016 Census
Source: United Nation World Populations Prospects 2019 & census estimates
*Fertility rate, average number of children born to women during their reproductive years.
**Infant mortality rate is the number of deaths per 1,000 live births of children under one year of age.