Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Iran, Islamic Republic of
Iran, Islamic Republic of: Share of population living in urban and rural areas was 84.7% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Iran, Islamic Republic of recorded 84.7% for share of population living in urban and rural areas in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban and rural areas in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 84.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 58.9%, in 1950.
That places Iran, Islamic Republic of 55th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 58.9% | — |
| 1955 | 61.5% | +4.4% |
| 1960 | 64.4% | +4.6% |
| 1965 | 67.5% | +4.9% |
| 1970 | 70.6% | +4.5% |
| 1975 | 73.3% | +3.9% |
| 1980 | 74.9% | +2.2% |
| 1985 | 76.8% | +2.5% |
| 1990 | 78.2% | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 79.8% | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 81.0% | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 82.1% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 83.3% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 84.1% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 84.7% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 60.2% | 58.9% | 61.5% | 2 |
| 1960s | 66.0% | 64.4% | 67.5% | 2 |
| 1970s | 71.9% | 70.6% | 73.3% | 2 |
| 1980s | 75.9% | 74.9% | 76.8% | 2 |
| 1990s | 79.0% | 78.2% | 79.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 81.6% | 81.0% | 82.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 83.7% | 83.3% | 84.1% | 2 |
| 2020s | 84.7% | 84.7% | 84.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Iran, Islamic Republic of
- 52 Dominican Republic 85.5% compare
- 53 Uzbekistan 85.4% compare
- 54 Philippines 84.8% compare
- 56 Sri Lanka 84.7% compare
- 57 Burundi 84.6% compare
- 58 Guam 84.5% compare
More reference data data for Iran, Islamic Republic of
- 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 share of population living in urban and rural areas in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 84.7% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban and rural areas recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The highest recorded value was 84.7% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban and rural areas recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The lowest recorded value was 58.9% in 1950.
- How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for share of population living in urban and rural areas?
- Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 55th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in urban and rural areas rising or falling in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran, Islamic Republic of data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in urban areas (the sum of cities and towns and suburbs). Urban areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.