Country profile · Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

🇮🇷 Iran, Islamic Rep.

Upper middle income. Capital Tehran. Full World Bank, WHO, ILO & OECD indicator profile across 40 measures, with regional peers and rankings.

91.6 million
Population
$475.3 billion
GDP
$5,190
GDP / capita
77.9 years
Life expectancy
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan Upper middle income Capital: Tehran

The verdict

Iran, Islamic Rep. ranks 33rd of 217 by total GDP and 76th for life expectancy - a upper middle income economy in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan.

#33
World GDP rank (of 217)
$5,190
GDP per capita
#76
Life-expectancy rank
#17
Population rank

Ranks are computed across the 217 countries with data for each indicator; see the full tables and sources below.

Iran, Islamic Rep. on the global income map

Iran, Islamic Rep. (IRN) plotted alongside its largest economic peers on GDP per capita and the Human Development Index. Bubble area scales with population; color encodes income tier; gold rings mark OECD members.

Iran, Islamic Rep. on the global income map Iran, Islamic Rep. positioned on the GDP-per-capita / HDI plane against its largest economic peers. 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 $200 $1K $10K $100K GDP per capita (USD, log scale) Human Development Index (0–1) India - GDP/cap $2,695 · lower-middle income IND China - GDP/cap $13,303 · upper-middle income CHN United States - GDP/cap $84,534 · high income · OECD USA Indonesia - GDP/cap $4,925 · upper-middle income IDN Pakistan - GDP/cap $1,479 · lower-middle income Nigeria - GDP/cap $1,084 · low income Brazil - GDP/cap $10,311 · upper-middle income Bangladesh - GDP/cap $2,593 · lower-middle income Russian Federation - GDP/cap $14,889 · high income Ethiopia - GDP/cap $1,134 · low income Mexico - GDP/cap $14,186 · high income · OECD Japan - GDP/cap $32,487 · high income · OECD Egypt, Arab Rep. - GDP/cap $3,338 · lower-middle income Philippines - GDP/cap $3,985 · lower-middle income Congo, Dem. Rep. - GDP/cap $693 · low income Viet Nam - GDP/cap $4,717 · upper-middle income Iran, Islamic Rep. - GDP/cap $5,190 · upper-middle income Turkiye - GDP/cap $15,893 · high income · OECD Germany - GDP/cap $56,104 · high income · OECD Thailand - GDP/cap $7,387 · upper-middle income United Kingdom - GDP/cap $53,246 · high income · OECD Tanzania - GDP/cap $1,193 · lower-middle income France - GDP/cap $46,103 · high income · OECD South Africa - GDP/cap $6,267 · upper-middle income Italy - GDP/cap $40,385 · high income · OECD Kenya - GDP/cap $2,133 · lower-middle income Myanmar - GDP/cap $1,359 · lower-middle income Colombia - GDP/cap $7,951 · upper-middle income · OECD Korea, Rep. - GDP/cap $36,239 · high income · OECD Sudan - GDP/cap $985 · low income Income tier Low Lower-middle Upper-middle High OECD member

Indicators tracked

40

Across 8 topic areas

GDP per capita

$5,190

Latest WB report

Population

91.6 million

UN estimate

OECD member

No

Outside OECD harmonized stats

Population
91.6 million
GDP
$475.3 billion
GDP per Capita
$5,190
Life Expectancy
77.9 years

Overview

Iran, Islamic Rep. has a population of 91.6 million, making it the 17th-most populous country out of 217 tracked in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan.

Its economy totals $475.3 billion - ranked 33rd globally by total GDP. GDP per capita stands at $5,190, placing it in the Upper middle income category.

Life expectancy at birth is 77.9 years (ranked 76th globally), reflecting overall health outcomes as measured by the World Bank.

The capital is Tehran.

👥 Demographics

Population
91.6 million
2024
Population Ages 0-14
22.4%
2024
Population Ages 65+
8.2%
2024
Population Density
55.8/km²
2023
Urban Population
77.0%
2024

💰 Economy

Foreign Direct Investment
$1.4 billion
2024
GDP (Current USD)
$475.3 billion
2024
GDP Growth Rate
3.7%
2024
GDP Per Capita (Current USD)
$5,190.17
2024
Inflation (Consumer Prices)
32.5%
2024
Trade (% of GDP)
52.1%
2024
Unemployment Rate
8.1%
2024

🏥 Health

Health Expenditure (% of GDP)
6.0%
2023
Infant Mortality Rate
10.3 per 1,000
2024
Life Expectancy at Birth
77.9 years
2024
Maternal Mortality Ratio
16
2023
Physicians (per 1,000 people)
1.8 per 1,000
2023
Stunting Prevalence (under 5)
4.8
2017
Under-5 Mortality Rate
11.3 per 1,000
2024

📚 Education

Education Expenditure (% of GDP)
2.8%
2023
Literacy Rate (Adult)
88.9
2023
School Enrollment (Primary)
102.0
2023
School Enrollment (Secondary)
85.1
2023
School Enrollment (Tertiary)
58.7
2022
Youth Literacy Rate
98.7
2023

🌍 Environment

CO2 Emissions Per Capita
9.1
2024
Electric Power Consumption
3,815 kWh
2023
Forest Area
6.6
2023
Freshwater Withdrawal
72.3
2022
Renewable Energy Consumption
0.9%
2021

🏗️ Infrastructure

Access to Clean Water
94.4%
2024
Access to Electricity
100.0%
2023
Internet Users
85.3%
2024
Mobile Subscriptions
174.1
2024

⚖️ Social

Female Labor Participation
14.1
2024
GINI Index
35.9
2023
Intentional Homicides
2.4
2014
Male Labor Participation
67.7
2024
Net Migration
190.2K
2024
Poverty (< $2.15/day)
2.5%
2023

🫀 Disease Burden

Key causes of death and disease risk in Iran, Islamic Rep.. Source: WHO Global Health Observatory.

NCD Death Rate
395
per 100K · 2021
Premature NCD Risk
13.9%
dying 30–70 from NCD
Road Traffic Deaths
20.6
per 100K
Suicide Rate
18.5
per 100K
TB Deaths
1.00
per 100K
Maternal Mortality
16
per 100K births

Sources: WHO Global Health Observatory. NCD mortality rate: 2021. Rates are age-standardized per 100,000 population. Premature NCD risk covers cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease.

Compare Iran, Islamic Rep. with Another Country

What the data says about Iran, Islamic Rep.

Iran, Islamic Rep. is classified as an upper-middle-income economy, a tier where statistical capacity, and therefore data completeness, varies more widely than in high-income countries, so a missing or older data point on this profile usually reflects reporting lag rather than an absence of the underlying activity. With a large population spread across a correspondingly large territory, national-level figures for Iran, Islamic Rep. can mask enormous gaps between its wealthiest and poorest regions - more so than in a small, geographically compact economy. The trend across several years of an indicator usually tells a more useful story than any single year's value.

Iran, Islamic Rep. sits in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan with a population of 91.6 million, placing it 17th out of 217 countries by headcount. Its capital, Tehran, anchors a Upper middle income economy with total GDP of $475.3 billion - ranked 33rd globally, and GDP per capita of $5,190. This combination of demographic scale and economic output shapes everything from household purchasing power and domestic market depth to the country's weight in regional trade flows and international development programmes.

Life expectancy at birth in Iran, Islamic Rep. is 77.9 years, ranking 76th worldwide and offering a summary read on healthcare access, nutrition, sanitation, and long-run living standards. The World Bank's World Development Indicators, combined with the WHO Global Health Observatory and ILO ILOSTAT wage statistics, expose 40 data points across 7 thematic areas, from fertility and urbanisation to CO₂ emissions, school enrolment, and labour-force participation. Reading these indicators together, rather than in isolation, is what turns headline numbers into a grounded portrait of how people actually live.

Use the indicator tables below to track trajectories over time, jump to Iran, Islamic Rep.'s placement on specific rankings such as GDP, population density, or life expectancy, and open the side-by-side Compare view to benchmark against peers inside Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan or across income groups. Because all figures come from official, CC BY 4.0-licensed datasets with clear vintages, you can cite them directly in research or journalism. Where a field reads "N/A", the upstream agency has not yet released that value for Iran, Islamic Rep. - we never fabricate estimates or carry forward stale values, so missing points stay visible rather than quietly filled in.

Using the Iran, Islamic Rep. profile

A single rank only means something in context, read Iran, Islamic Rep.'s numbers against its peers and over time.

  • Put Iran, Islamic Rep. side-by-side with another country to see exactly where the gaps are. Compare countries
  • See the full GDP table to find every country above and below Iran, Islamic Rep.'s #33 position. GDP rankings
  • Browse Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan to benchmark Iran, Islamic Rep. against its regional peers. Regional peers

Figures come from official World Bank, WHO, ILO and OECD releases; observation years differ by indicator (shown in the “Year” column) and unavailable values appear as “N/A” rather than estimates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the data for Iran, Islamic Rep. come from?

Data for Iran, Islamic Rep. is sourced from the World Bank Open Data catalog, WHO Global Health Observatory, and ILO ILOSTAT (for average wages and working hours). These are official, publicly available datasets.

How current is the data for Iran, Islamic Rep.?

It varies by indicator - most points are 2020-2024. See our methodology page for the update cadence per source.

Can I compare Iran, Islamic Rep. with other countries?

Yes - use the compare tool above, or the rankings catalog to see where Iran, Islamic Rep. stands on any single indicator.

What does GDP per capita tell us about Iran, Islamic Rep.?

Iran, Islamic Rep.'s total output divided by its population, in current US dollars - an approximate read on average economic productivity per person. See our methodology page for the PPP-adjustment caveats.

How does Iran, Islamic Rep.'s life expectancy compare to the global average?

77.9 years, ranking 76th of 217 countries tracked - against a global average near 73 years.

Does PlainCountries cover visa or travel information for Iran, Islamic Rep.?

No - PlainCountries is development and health data only. PlainVisa (plainvisa.com) covers immigration policy; PlainFlights (plainflights.com) covers flight routes.

Source: World Bank Open Data, Source: WHO Global Health Observatory, Source: ILO ILOSTAT. World Bank and ILO data licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, financial, or policy advice. Data is sourced from the World Bank, WHO, ILO, and OECD. See our full disclaimer and editorial policy.