Iran: facts and figures
The reference numbers, sourced, with the ones that change every day (the rial, the date) filled in live from Artesh's own data.
Population
92.4 million
World Bank, 2025
Area
1.65 m km²
17th largest; 1,622,500 km² land
Capital
Tehran
metro ~15 million
Official language
Persian (Farsi)
+ Azerbaijani, Kurdish, Luri, Gilaki, Arabic, Baluchi, Turkmen
Religion
Shia Islam (state)
~90% Shia, 5–10% Sunni
GDP
$363 bn
World Bank, 2025
Life expectancy
77.9 years
World Bank, 2024
Time zone
UTC+3:30
no daylight saving since 2022
Provinces
31
largest by population: Tehran, Razavi Khorasan, Isfahan
Land borders
7 countries
Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan
Where Iran is, and where Iranians live
Largest cities (2016 census, city proper)
Tehran8.7 m
Mashhad3.0 m
Isfahan2.0 m
Karaj1.6 m
Shiraz1.6 m
Tabriz1.6 m
Qom1.2 m
Ahvaz1.2 m
Languages spoken at home (CIA World Factbook)
Persian53%
Azerbaijani & other Turkic18%
Kurdish10%
Gilaki & Mazandarani7%
Luri6%
Baluchi2%
Arabic2%
Other2%
Circles are scaled to city population (2016 census). Shapes: Natural Earth via world-atlas. Explore the region on the interactive Middle East map.
Iran explained, one question at a time
What is the population of Iran?
About 92.4 million people (World Bank, 2025). Iran is the 17th or 18th most populous country. Growth has slowed sharply: the fertility rate is below replacement level, at roughly 1.7 births per woman, and the population is ageing. About 77% live in cities; the Tehran metropolitan area alone has some 15 million people.
What language do they speak in Iran?
Persian, called Farsi by its speakers, is the official language and the mother tongue of a little over half of Iranians. It is an Indo-European language, not related to Arabic, written in a modified Arabic script. Other major languages: Azerbaijani Turkic (north-west, roughly a sixth of the population), Kurdish (west), Gilaki and Mazandarani (Caspian coast), Luri, Arabic (Khuzestan), Baluchi (south-east) and Turkmen (north-east). Nearly everyone also speaks Persian.
Is Iran an Arab country?
No. Iranians are mostly Persian and other Iranian peoples; Arabs are a small minority, mainly in Khuzestan province. Iran is not a member of the Arab League. See the Arab and non-Arab map.
What is the religion of Iran?
Twelver Shia Islam is the state religion; around 90% of Iranians are nominally Shia and 5–10% Sunni (mostly Kurds, Baluch and Turkmen). Christians (mainly Armenians and Assyrians), Jews and Zoroastrians are recognised minorities with reserved seats in parliament; the Baha'i faith, Iran's largest non-Muslim minority, is not recognised and its members face systematic discrimination. Surveys since 2020 suggest actual religious observance is far lower than official figures.
What is the currency of Iran?
The Iranian rial (IRR). Prices are quoted in toman (1 toman = 10 rials). Today one US dollar buys about 2,690,000 rials (269,000 toman) on the open market. See the dollar to rial page for the live rate and converter.
What calendar does Iran use?
The Solar Hijri (Jalali) calendar, which starts at the spring equinox (Nowruz, 20 or 21 March) and counts years from the Hijra; today is 15 Mehr 1405. It is one of the most accurate calendars in use. The Islamic lunar calendar is used for religious dates and the Gregorian calendar for international business. See today's date in Iran.
How is Iran governed?
Iran is an Islamic republic with elected and unelected institutions side by side. The Supreme Leader, chosen for life by the 88-member Assembly of Experts, commands the armed forces, appoints the judiciary chief, the heads of state broadcasting and half of the 12-member Guardian Council, and has the final say on major policy. The President, elected for four years (two-term limit), runs the government. The 290-seat parliament (Majlis) legislates, but the Guardian Council vets all candidates and can veto laws; the Expediency Council arbitrates between them. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is a parallel military with a large economic role. Profiles of office-holders are in People & organisations.
How big is Iran?
About 1.65 million square kilometres (636,000 square miles), the 17th-largest country in the world, roughly the size of Alaska or two and a half times France. It borders seven countries by land (Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan including its Nakhchivan exclave, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan) and has coasts on the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Much of the interior is desert and high plateau; the Zagros and Alborz mountains hold most of the population.
What is the capital of Iran and its largest cities?
Tehran (city about 9 million, metro area about 15 million). Next: Mashhad, Isfahan, Karaj, Shiraz, Tabriz, Qom and Ahvaz. Iran has 31 provinces.
What is Iran's economy based on?
Oil and gas (Iran holds some of the world's largest proven reserves of both), petrochemicals, steel, cars, agriculture (pistachios, saffron) and a large services sector. GDP was about $363 billion (World Bank, 2025). Sanctions and inflation above 30% a year dominate daily life; see Iran's economy in numbers.
What time zone is Iran in?
Iran Standard Time, UTC+3:30, all year; daylight saving time was abolished in 2022. The country code is +98 and the internet domain .ir.
Related: Middle East map · Kurds in Iran · Iranians abroad · Strait of Hormuz
Sources: World Bank Open Data (population, GDP, life expectancy, urban share, land area; refreshed weekly), CIA World Factbook (languages, religion shares, area ranking), Statistical Centre of Iran (provinces, cities), Artesh market data (rial). Office-holders are deliberately not named here; see their profiles, which update with coverage.