Iranians abroad: the diaspora by country

Around four to six million Iranians live outside Iran. The figures below are what national censuses and official statistics actually count; community estimates are usually higher, because many people of Iranian origin identify as Persian, Jewish, Armenian or Baha'i rather than "Iranian", and children born abroad are often not counted.

Iranian population by country

United States

568,564

2021 American Community Survey (Iranian ancestry); community estimates run to 1–1.5 million · Los Angeles ("Tehrangeles", Westwood and Beverly Hills), Orange County, San Francisco Bay Area, Washington DC, New York, Houston, Dallas

Kuwait

400,000

Kuwaiti citizens of Iranian origin (Ajam), estimate; plus ~38,000 Iranian nationals · Kuwait City

United Arab Emirates

357,000

estimate 2021; older estimates up to 500,000 · Dubai (Deira, Bur Dubai), Abu Dhabi, Sharjah

Germany

336,000

official estimate 2023 (migration background) · Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich

Canada

280,805

2021 census, Iranian ethnic origin · Toronto (North York, Richmond Hill), Vancouver (North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Coquitlam), Montreal

Israel

250,000

estimate, Jews of Iranian origin and descendants · Tel Aviv, Holon, Jerusalem

Bahrain

225,000

estimate, Bahrainis of Iranian origin (Ajam) · Manama

Sweden

126,700

official estimate 2023 · Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö

Turkey

126,640

estimate 2021 (residence permits); transit population much larger · Istanbul, Ankara, Van

France

118,300

official estimate 2023 · Paris

United Kingdom

114,432

2021 census, Iranian-born · London (Kensington, Finchley, Ealing), Manchester

Iraq

110,920

official estimate 2021 · Najaf, Karbala, Baghdad

Saudi Arabia

110,000

official estimate 2023 · Medina, Mecca, Eastern Province

Netherlands

52,000

official estimate 2021 · Amsterdam, Rotterdam

Austria

40,000

official estimate 2021 · Vienna

Denmark

32,700

official estimate 2021 · Copenhagen

Malaysia

30,000

official estimate 2021 · Kuala Lumpur

Norway

20,000

official estimate 2021 · Oslo

Qatar

20,000

official estimate 2021 · Doha

Georgia

16,000

official estimate 2021 · Tbilisi

Azerbaijan

10,000

official estimate 2021 · Baku

Source: national censuses and official estimates as compiled in the "Iranian diaspora" reference table (Wikipedia, read October 2026); Iran Ministry of Foreign Affairs total of 4,037,258 (2021). Figures are not strictly comparable: some count birthplace, some ancestry, some citizens of Iranian origin.

The diaspora in the news

Iranian outlets

Collision of Two Airplanes at Los Angeles Airport
ISNA — a semi-official Iranian news agency (Iranian Students News Agency) · Oct 7, 2026

Which Dollar Did Luxury Cars Come With? For the Benefit of Expatriates at the Expense of Iranians!
ISNA — a semi-official Iranian news agency (Iranian Students News Agency) · Sep 26, 2026

President Pezeshkian Engages with Iranian Diaspora in New York
IRNA — Iran's official state news agency · Sep 26, 2026

Alinajad: I hope gymnastics wins a medal at the Los Angeles Olympics
ISNA — a semi-official Iranian news agency (Iranian Students News Agency) · Sep 25, 2026

NBC Los Angeles Helicopter Crashes While Covering Fatal Bus Collision
Mehr — a semi-official Iranian news agency · Sep 16, 2026

International and independent outlets

Californians React Strongly to Trump's Comment on Iran's Threat to Los Angeles
Google Iran · Oct 7, 2026

Trump's Provocative Claims on Iran's Threat to Los Angeles and Other Recent Actions
Google Iran · Oct 7, 2026

Trump's Controversial Remarks on Iran's Threat to Los Angeles Spark Outrage
Google Iran · Oct 7, 2026

Trump's Indifferent Remarks on Los Angeles Attack Spark Outrage in Iran
Google Iran · Oct 7, 2026

Trump's Controversial Remarks on Iran and Los Angeles: Implications for U.S.-Iran Relations
Google Iran · Oct 6, 2026

Trump's Controversial Remarks on Iran's Threat to Los Angeles Spark Political Backlash
Bing Iran · Oct 6, 2026

Questions people ask

How many Iranians live outside Iran?

Iran's foreign ministry counted about 4 million Iranians abroad in 2021; independent estimates range from 4 to 6 million depending on whether children born abroad are counted. The biggest communities are in the United States, the Gulf states, Germany, Canada, Turkey and Sweden.

Why is there a large Iranian community in California?

Los Angeles was already home to Iranian students and professionals in the 1970s; after the 1979 revolution and during the 1980–88 war with Iraq, hundreds of thousands left, and Los Angeles, with its climate and an existing community, became the main destination. Westwood's Persian Square and Beverly Hills gave the city the nickname "Tehrangeles". The US Census counted about 569,000 people of Iranian ancestry in 2021, roughly half of them in California; community organisations put the real figure at over a million, since many identify as "Persian" or by religion (Jewish, Armenian, Baha'i) rather than "Iranian".

Where do Iranians live in Canada?

Canada's 2021 census counted 280,805 people of Iranian origin. The two centres are Greater Toronto (North York's Yonge Street corridor and Richmond Hill) and Metro Vancouver, where North Vancouver and West Vancouver have the highest Iranian share of any Canadian municipalities; Coquitlam and Montreal also have large communities. Canada has had no diplomatic relations with Iran since 2012.

Which cities have the most Iranians?

Outside Iran: Los Angeles (largest), Dubai, Toronto, Istanbul, Vancouver, London, Stockholm, Hamburg, Kuwait City and Tel Aviv, in roughly that order, though city-level counts are estimates.

What is the difference between "Iranian" and "Persian"?

Iranian is nationality (a citizen of Iran, of any ethnicity: Persian, Azerbaijani, Kurdish, Arab, Baluch and others). Persian is the largest ethnic group and the language. Many in the diaspora say "Persian" to stress culture over the current state.