Iran
population: Official estimate (21 Mar 2026) · indicators as of 2026-09-05 · 33 metros tracked
🗺️ Geography33 metros
Iran metro footprint, shaded by composite tier.
Hover for rank, click to open the metro page. Boundaries derived from Overture Maps administrative divisions; metros without source coverage are omitted.
🏙️ 33 tracked metros
Show all 33 rows
🗂️ Provinces
31 entries listed under Iran. Click any to see its metros and footprint.
📋 At a glance
- Official language
- Persian
- Currency
- Iranian rial (IRR)
- Government
- Islamic theocracy
- Legislature
- Islamic Consultative Assembly
- Constitution
- 1979, 1 amendment event since
- Demonym
- Iranian
- Time zones
- Iran Standard Time Zone, UTC+03:30
- Driving side
- Right
- Calling code
- +98
- Internet TLD
- .ir, ایران.
- ISO 3166
- IR
- Established
- 1979
- Highest point
- Damavand (5,628 m (18,465 ft))
- National anthem
- National Anthem of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Facts via Wikidata.
📰 In the news6 stories
Business Insider · 10 Sept 2026
"What's behind the surge in oil prices"Crude crossed $100 for the first time since July as Iran hit ten vessels and the Houthis blockaded Saudi Arabia's Red Sea export route.
Semafor · 8 Sept 2026
Iran plans Hormuz 'exclusion zone'Iran announced a Strait of Hormuz exclusion zone as oil neared $97, with Goldman warning of another 20% if attacks on shipping intensify.
Semafor · 8 Sept 2026
US, Iran feel pain from energy disruptionsUS gas prices hit records and Tehran doubled the price of over-quota fuel, though Semafor reads Iran's actual leverage as eroding.
The Washington Post · 6 Sept 2026
U.S. says it hit 3 Iranian oil tankers, including one near Kharg IslandCENTCOM struck three Iranian crude tankers, disabling one off Kharg Island, after Iran fired missiles at two US Navy vessels.
The Guardian · 3 Sept 2026
Iran accuses US of war crime after missile blast near weddingIran accused the US of a war crime after a strike killed at least four people at a wedding.
Politico · 1 Sept 2026
"US strikes Iran's Larak Island"After a month of quiet, the US struck rocket launchers on Iran's Larak Island, and Iran fired ballistic missiles at US forces in Jordan and the UAE.
💹 Economy and developmentUpper middle income
Ranks are among sovereign countries with data; ★ marks a top-5% finish. Sources: World Bank Open Data and Our World in Data (UNDP, UN WPP, V-Dem, Global Carbon Budget, Ember, Energy Institute; CC BY 4.0). Each card credits its originating body. Renewable share is of electricity generation, not of primary energy. Each figure is the most recent year available.
Alliances & Organisations5 full memberships
Full memberDashed border = Candidate / ApplicantItalic = Dialogue / Observer
🏛️ Leadership History42 leaders · click to expand
marks a leader associated with atrocities or defiance of law, systemic subversion of democratic institutions, or a criminal conviction. Convictions arising from political persecution, and annulled convictions, are excluded. denotes a monarch. These are editorial designations, applied per entry rather than derived automatically.
Other
⚠️ Mojtaba Khamenei✦ Current
2026–PresentSupreme Leader
Masoud Pezeshkian✦ Current
2024–PresentPresident
⚠️ Ebrahim Raisi
2021–2024President
Hassan Rouhani
2013–2021President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
2005–2013President
Mohammad Khatami
1997–2005President
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
1989–1997President
⚠️ Ali Khamenei
1989–2026Supreme Leader
⚠️ Ali Khamenei
1981–1989President
Mohammad-Ali Rajai
1981–1981President
Abolhassan Banisadr
1980–1981President
⚠️ Ruhollah Khomeini
1979–1989Supreme Leader
| Name | Role | Years |
|---|---|---|
| ⚠️ Mojtaba Khamenei✦ Current | Supreme Leader | 2026–Present |
| Masoud Pezeshkian✦ Current | President | 2024–Present |
| ⚠️ Ebrahim Raisi | President | 2021–2024 |
| Hassan Rouhani | President | 2013–2021 |
| Mahmoud Ahmadinejad | President | 2005–2013 |
| Mohammad Khatami | President | 1997–2005 |
| Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani | President | 1989–1997 |
| ⚠️ Ali Khamenei | Supreme Leader | 1989–2026 |
| ⚠️ Ali Khamenei | President | 1981–1989 |
| Mohammad-Ali Rajai | President | 1981–1981 |
| Abolhassan Banisadr | President | 1980–1981 |
| ⚠️ Ruhollah Khomeini | Supreme Leader | 1979–1989 |
Pahlavi dynasty
👑 Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
1941–1979Shah
👑 Reza Shah Pahlavi
1925–1941Shah
| Name | Role | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 👑 Mohammad Reza Pahlavi | Shah | 1941–1979 |
| 👑 Reza Shah Pahlavi | Shah | 1925–1941 |
Qajar dynasty
👑 Ahmad Shah Qajar
1909–1925Shah
👑 Mohammad Ali Shah
1907–1909Shah
👑 Mozaffar ad-Din Shah
1896–1907Shah
👑 Naser al-Din Shah
1848–1896Shah
👑 Mohammad Shah
1834–1848Shah
👑 Fath-Ali Shah
1797–1834Shah
👑 Agha Mohammad Khan
1789–1797Shah
| Name | Role | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 👑 Ahmad Shah Qajar | Shah | 1909–1925 |
| 👑 Mohammad Ali Shah | Shah | 1907–1909 |
| 👑 Mozaffar ad-Din Shah | Shah | 1896–1907 |
| 👑 Naser al-Din Shah | Shah | 1848–1896 |
| 👑 Mohammad Shah | Shah | 1834–1848 |
| 👑 Fath-Ali Shah | Shah | 1797–1834 |
| 👑 Agha Mohammad Khan | Shah | 1789–1797 |
Zand dynasty
👑 Lotf Ali Khan Zand
1789–1789Shah
👑 Jafar Khan Zand
1785–1789Shah
👑 Ali Morad Khan Zand
1781–1785Shah
👑 Sadeq Khan Zand
1779–1781Shah
👑 Abol-Fath Khan Zand
1779–1779Shah
👑 Mohammad Ali Khan Zand
1779–1779Shah
👑 Karim Khan Zand
1751–1779Shah
| Name | Role | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 👑 Lotf Ali Khan Zand | Shah | 1789–1789 |
| 👑 Jafar Khan Zand | Shah | 1785–1789 |
| 👑 Ali Morad Khan Zand | Shah | 1781–1785 |
| 👑 Sadeq Khan Zand | Shah | 1779–1781 |
| 👑 Abol-Fath Khan Zand | Shah | 1779–1779 |
| 👑 Mohammad Ali Khan Zand | Shah | 1779–1779 |
| 👑 Karim Khan Zand | Shah | 1751–1779 |
Afsharid dynasty
👑 Shahrokh Shah
1748–1789Shah
👑 Adel Shah
1747–1748Shah
👑 Nader Shah
1736–1747Shah
| Name | Role | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 👑 Shahrokh Shah | Shah | 1748–1789 |
| 👑 Adel Shah | Shah | 1747–1748 |
| 👑 Nader Shah | Shah | 1736–1747 |
Safavid dynasty
👑 Abbas III
1732–1736Shah
👑 Tahmasp II
1722–1732Shah
👑 Sultan Husayn
1694–1722Shah
👑 Suleiman I
1666–1694Shah
👑 Abbas II
1642–1666Shah
👑 Safi I
1629–1642Shah
👑 Abbas I the Great
1587–1629Shah
👑 Mohammad Khodabanda
1578–1587Shah
👑 Ismail II
1576–1578Shah
👑 Tahmasp I
1524–1576Shah
👑 Ismail I
1501–1524Shah
| Name | Role | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 👑 Abbas III | Shah | 1732–1736 |
| 👑 Tahmasp II | Shah | 1722–1732 |
| 👑 Sultan Husayn | Shah | 1694–1722 |
| 👑 Suleiman I | Shah | 1666–1694 |
| 👑 Abbas II | Shah | 1642–1666 |
| 👑 Safi I | Shah | 1629–1642 |
| 👑 Abbas I the Great | Shah | 1587–1629 |
| 👑 Mohammad Khodabanda | Shah | 1578–1587 |
| 👑 Ismail II | Shah | 1576–1578 |
| 👑 Tahmasp I | Shah | 1524–1576 |
| 👑 Ismail I | Shah | 1501–1524 |
📈 Power over timeThe Power Atlas →
The powerline is the headline share of world power, running from the state’s first ranked year (benchmark estimates with wide error bars before 1816). Latent power is material mass a state could mobilise (population, manpower, heavy industry). Recognised power is what the system actually treats it as (military spending, productive economy, reach, and status such as a Security Council seat or nuclear arsenal). When latent runs above recognised, a power is rising or under-rated; when recognised runs higher, it is punching above its weight or coasting on prestige. Material sub-indices run 1816 through 2016.
⚔️ Conflicts since 194530 interstate wars · click to expand
Show all 30 wars
Bold = principal belligerent. Source: Wikipedia, “List of interstate wars since 1945.”
👥 Population over time
Our World in Data population (CC BY): UN WPP 2024 from 1950, Gapminder v7 1800-1949, HYDE 3.3 earlier; today's borders. Figures above are as of 2023, the last year that is estimated rather than forecast. The dashed tail to 2026 is a UN WPP medium-variant projection. It is drawn because the line should reach the present, and drawn differently because it has not happened yet: no rank, peak or share on this page uses it. Before 1950 the series is reconstruction rather than contemporaneous statistics, which is worth knowing when a country’s peak sits back there. The current population shown elsewhere on this page comes from the workbook and is unchanged by this. Note that people and share of world can move in opposite directions. A country can grow steadily and still become a smaller part of humanity, which is what happened to almost every rich country after 1960.
👥 To 2100
The UN’s probabilistic projection for Iran: the median with its 80% and 95% bands, the UN’s own high, low and zero-migration scenarios beside it. Not this site’s model; the site reads it and says what it implies.
Tap or drag across the chart to read any year: the estimate to 2023, then the UN median, its bands and the scenarios.
What drives it
Births, deaths and net migration on the UN medium path, with fertility, life expectancy and median age, every decade from 1950.
Show all 16 decades
Source: United Nations, DESA, Population Division. World Population Prospects 2024. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 IGO. Estimates to 2023; projections 2024 to 2100, medium variant and probabilistic intervals. The UN revises every two years; this is the WPP 2024 revision.
🏆 National Teams
Iran on the international stage. Click a card for the full record.
National Teams Champions
Every major championship won by Iran's national teams, newest first. 3 in total.
| Year | Date | Champion | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 1976-06-13 | Iran | AFC Asian Cup |
| 1972 | 1972-05-19 | Iran | AFC Asian Cup |
| 1968 | 1968-05-19 | Iran | AFC Asian Cup |