Prosperity gap in Iran
Iran: Prosperity gap was 3.32 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Prosperity gap in Iran, 1986–2023
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prosperity gap in Iran is 3.32, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.6% on the previous year and down 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prosperity gap in Iran peaked at 6.54 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 3.28, in 2012.
Iran ranks 49th of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.
Prosperity gap in Iran, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 6.45 | — |
| 1990 | 6.54 | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 5.49 | -16.1% |
| 1998 | 5.3 | -3.4% |
| 2005 | 3.47 | -34.5% |
| 2006 | 3.48 | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 3.54 | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 3.39 | -4.3% |
| 2012 | 3.28 | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 3.38 | +3.2% |
| 2014 | 3.6 | +6.6% |
| 2015 | 3.53 | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 3.53 | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 3.38 | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 3.57 | +5.6% |
| 2019 | 3.9 | +9.4% |
| 2020 | 3.96 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 3.67 | -7.2% |
| 2022 | 3.45 | -6.3% |
| 2023 | 3.32 | -3.6% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 3.32 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2.67, 1.2× the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Iran's 3.32 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 3.11, 1.1× the median. (10 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Prosperity gap in Iran changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | -34.5% | 5.3 | 3.47 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.45 | 6.45 | 6.45 | 1 |
| 1990s | 5.78 | 5.3 | 6.54 | 3 |
| 2000s | 3.5 | 3.47 | 3.54 | 3 |
| 2010s | 3.51 | 3.28 | 3.9 | 9 |
| 2020s | 3.6 | 3.32 | 3.96 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 46 Peru 3.63 compare
- 47 Armenia 3.61 compare
- 48 El Salvador 3.55 compare
- 50 Ecuador 3.07 compare
- 51 Azerbaijan 3.03 compare
- 52 North Macedonia 2.94 compare
More reference data data for Iran
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 12.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 26.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 26.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 11.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 3.84 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 46.54 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 109.46 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 7.3 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prosperity gap in Iran?
- Prosperity gap in Iran was 3.32 in 2023, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest prosperity gap recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 6.54 in 1990.
- What is the lowest prosperity gap recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.28 in 2012.
- How does Iran rank for prosperity gap?
- Iran ranks 49th out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prosperity gap rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Prosperity gap. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 20 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average factor by which incomes need to be multiplied to bring everyone to the prosperity standard of $28 per person per day.