Reduction in Human Development Index when adjusting for inequalities in Iran

Iran: Reduction in Human Development Index when adjusting for inequalities was 19.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
19.5%
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
78th
of 166 countries
All-time high
24.6%
in 2010
All-time low
19.5%
in 2023
Years of data
14
2010–2023

Reduction in Human Development Index when adjusting for inequalities in Iran, 2010–2023

05101520252010201620232010: 24.6 %2011: 23.9 %2012: 24.3 %2013: 23.6 %2014: 21.9 %2015: 21.6 %2016: 21.9 %2017: 21.9 %2018: 20.5 %2019: 20.6 %2020: 20 %2021: 19.8 %2022: 19.5 %2023: 19.5 %

Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Iran recorded 19.5% for reduction in human development index when adjusting for inequalities in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 14 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 17.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, reduction in human development index when adjusting for inequalities in Iran peaked at 24.6% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 19.5%, in 2023.

Iran ranks 78th of 166 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.

Reduction in Human Development Index when adjusting for inequalities in Iran, year by year

Annual values for Reduction in Human Development Index when adjusting for inequalities in Iran, 2010 to 2023.
Year % Change
2010 24.6%
2011 23.9% -2.7%
2012 24.3% +1.6%
2013 23.6% -3.0%
2014 21.9% -7.1%
2015 21.6% -1.4%
2016 21.9% +1.4%
2017 21.9% +0.3%
2018 20.5% -6.5%
2019 20.6% +0.4%
2020 20.0% -2.8%
2021 19.8% -0.9%
2022 19.5% -1.4%
2023 19.5% -0.1%

Iran compared with similar countries

  • Iran's 19.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 16.7%, 1.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
  • Iran's 19.5% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 21.2%, 92% of the median. (17 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 22.5% 20.5% 24.6% 10
2020s 19.7% 19.5% 20.0% 4

Countries ranked near Iran

  1. 75 Peru 20.3% compare
  2. 76 Tunisia 20.2% compare
  3. 77 Palestine 20.2% compare
  4. 79 Sri Lanka 18.8% compare
  5. 80 Costa Rica 18.6% compare
  6. 81 Dominican Republic 18.3% compare

See the full ranking of 166 places →

More reference data data for Iran

All data for Iran →

Frequently asked questions

What is reduction in human development index when adjusting for inequalities in Iran?
Reduction in human development index when adjusting for inequalities in Iran was 19.5% in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest reduction in human development index when adjusting for inequalities recorded in Iran?
The highest recorded value was 24.6% in 2010.
What is the lowest reduction in human development index when adjusting for inequalities recorded in Iran?
The lowest recorded value was 19.5% in 2023.
How does Iran rank for reduction in human development index when adjusting for inequalities?
Iran ranks 78th out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
Is reduction in human development index when adjusting for inequalities rising or falling in Iran?
Over the last ten years it is down 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Iran data come from?
The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Reduction in Human Development Index when adjusting for inequalities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Reduction in Human Development Index when adjusting for inequalities in Iran. Statizoid, drawing on UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/reduction-in-hdi-when-adjusting-for-inequalities/iran-islamic-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Reduction in Human Development Index when adjusting for inequalities
Unit
%
Source
UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
166 places, 2,131 data points, 2010–2023
Last refreshed

Percentage difference between the IHDI value and the HDI value.