2016 Edition

Background

Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and Shah Mohammad Reza PAHLAVI was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces led by Ayatollah Ruhollah KHOMEINI established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority vested in a learned religious scholar referred to commonly as the Supreme Leader who, according to the constitution, is accountable only to the Assembly of Experts - a popularly elected 86-member body of clerics. US-Iranian relations became strained when a group of Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran in November 1979 and held embassy personnel hostages until mid-January 1981. The US cut off diplomatic relations with Iran in April 1980. During the period 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashes between US Navy and Iranian military forces. Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for its activities in Lebanon and elsewhere in the world and remains subject to US, UN, and EU economic sanctions and export controls because of its continued involvement in terrorism and concerns over possible military dimensions of its nuclear program. Following the election of reformer Hojjat ol-Eslam Mohammad KHATAMI as president in 1997 and a reformist Majles (legislature) in 2000, a campaign to foster political reform in response to popular dissatisfaction was initiated. The movement floundered as conservative politicians, supported by the Supreme Leader, unelected institutions of authority like the Council of Guardians, and the security services reversed and blocked reform measures while increasing security repression. Starting with nationwide municipal elections in 2003 and continuing through Majles elections in 2004, conservatives reestablished control over Iran's elected government institutions, which culminated with the August 2005 inauguration of hardliner Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD as president. His controversial reelection in June 2009 sparked nationwide protests over allegations of electoral fraud. These protests were quickly suppressed, and the political opposition that arose as a consequence of AHMADI-NEJAD's election was repressed. Deteriorating economic conditions due primarily to government mismanagement and international sanctions prompted at least two major economically based protests in July and October 2012, but Iran's internal security situation remained stable. President AHMADI-NEJAD's independent streak angered regime establishment figures, including the Supreme Leader, leading to conservative opposition to his agenda for the last year of his presidency, and an alienation of his political supporters. In June 2013 Iranians elected a moderate conservative cleric Dr. Hasan Fereidun RUHANI to the presidency. He is a longtime senior member in the regime, but has made promises of reforming society and Iran's foreign policy. The UN Security Council has passed a number of resolutions calling for Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities and comply with its IAEA obligations and responsibilities, and in July 2015 Iran and the five permanent members, plus Germany (P5+1) signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) under which Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Area

1,648,195 sq km 1,531,595 sq km 116,600 sq km

land

1,531,595 sq km

total

1,648,195 sq km

water

116,600 sq km

Area - comparative

almost 2.5 times the size of Texas; slightly smaller than Alaska

Climate

mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast

Coastline

2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)

Elevation

1,305 m lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m

elevation extremes

lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m

highest point

Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m

mean elevation

1,305 m

Environment - current issues

air pollution, especially in urban areas, from vehicle emissions, refinery operations, and industrial effluents; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; oil pollution in the Persian Gulf; wetland losses from drought; soil degradation (salination); inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution from raw sewage and industrial waste; urbanization

Environment - international agreements

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

Geographic coordinates

32 00 N, 53 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport

Irrigated land

95,530 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

5,894 km Afghanistan 921 km, Armenia 44 km, Azerbaijan 689 km, Iraq 1,599 km, Pakistan 959 km, Turkey 534 km, Turkmenistan 1,148 km

border countries (7)

Afghanistan 921 km, Armenia 44 km, Azerbaijan 689 km, Iraq 1,599 km, Pakistan 959 km, Turkey 534 km, Turkmenistan 1,148 km

total

5,894 km

Land use

30.1% arable land 10.8%; permanent crops 1.2%; permanent pasture 18.1% 6.8% 63.1% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

30.1%

forest

6.8%

other

63.1% (2011 est.)

Location

Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

12 nm 24 nm bilateral agreements or median lines in the Persian Gulf natural prolongation

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

natural prolongation

exclusive economic zone

bilateral agreements or median lines in the Persian Gulf

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur

Population - distribution

population is concentrated in the north, northwest, and west, reflecting the position of the Zagros and Elburz Mountains; the vast dry areas in the center and eastern parts of the country, around the deserts of the Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut, have a much smaller population density

Terrain

rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts

Age structure

23.65% (male 10,037,814/female 9,546,710) 16.57% (male 7,041,801/female 6,675,656) 47.59% (male 20,085,331/female 19,319,933) 6.79% (male 2,770,618/female 2,855,362) 5.4% (male 2,052,541/female 2,415,867) (2016 est.)

0-14 years

23.65% (male 10,037,814/female 9,546,710)

15-24 years

16.57% (male 7,041,801/female 6,675,656)

25-54 years

47.59% (male 20,085,331/female 19,319,933)

55-64 years

6.79% (male 2,770,618/female 2,855,362)

65 years and over

5.4% (male 2,052,541/female 2,415,867) (2016 est.)

Birth rate

17.8 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

77.4% (2010/11)

Death rate

5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)

Dependency ratios

40.2% 33.1% 7.1% 14.1% (2015 est.)

elderly dependency ratio

7.1%

potential support ratio

14.1% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

40.2%

youth dependency ratio

33.1%

Drinking water source

urban: 97.7% of population rural: 92.1% of population total: 96.2% of population urban: 2.3% of population rural: 7.9% of population total: 3.8% of population (2015 est.)

rural

7.9% of population

total

3.8% of population (2015 est.)

urban

2.3% of population

Education expenditures

3% of GDP (2014)

Ethnic groups

Persian, Azeri, Kurd, Lur, Baloch, Arab, Turkmen and Turkic tribes

Health expenditures

6.9% of GDP (2014)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.14% (2015 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,000 (2015 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

73,200 (2015 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.1 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

37.1 deaths/1,000 live births 37.6 deaths/1,000 live births 36.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)

female

36.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)

male

37.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total

37.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Persian (official), Azeri Turkic and Turkic dialects, Kurdish, Gilaki and Mazandarani, Luri, Balochi, Arabic, other

Life expectancy at birth

71.4 years 69.8 years 73.1 years (2016 est.)

female

73.1 years (2016 est.)

male

69.8 years

total population

71.4 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write 86.8% 91.2% 82.5% (2015 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

82.5% (2015 est.)

male

91.2%

total population

86.8%

Major infectious diseases

intermediate bacterial diarrhea Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (2016)

degree of risk

intermediate

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (2016)

Major urban areas - population

TEHRAN (capital) 8.432 million; Mashhad 3.014 million; Esfahan 1.88 million; Karaj 1.807 million; Shiraz 1.661 million; Tabriz 1.572 million (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

25 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median age

29.4 years 29.1 years 29.7 years (2016 est.)

female

29.7 years (2016 est.)

male

29.1 years

total

29.4 years

Nationality

Iranian(s) Iranian

adjective

Iranian

noun

Iranian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

24.9% (2014)

Physicians density

0.89 physicians/1,000 population (2005)

Population

82,801,633 (July 2016 est.)

Population distribution

population is concentrated in the north, northwest, and west, reflecting the position of the Zagros and Elburz Mountains; the vast dry areas in the center and eastern parts of the country, around the deserts of the Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut, have a much smaller population density

Population growth rate

1.18% (2016 est.)

Religions

Muslim (official) 99.4% (Shia 90-95%, Sunni 5-10%), other (includes Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Christian) 0.3%, unspecified 0.4% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 92.8% of population rural: 82.3% of population total: 90% of population urban: 7.2% of population rural: 17.7% of population total: 10% of population (2015 est.)

rural

17.7% of population

total

10% of population (2015 est.)

urban

7.2% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

15 years 15 years 15 years (2014)

female

15 years (2014)

male

15 years

total

15 years

Sex ratio

1.05 male(s)/female 1.05 male(s)/female 1.05 male(s)/female 1.04 male(s)/female 0.97 male(s)/female 0.86 male(s)/female 1.03 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.04 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.86 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.03 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.83 children born/woman (2016 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

24.8% 21% 42.8% (2014 est.)

female

42.8% (2014 est.)

male

21%

total

24.8%

Urbanization

73.4% of total population (2015) 2.07% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

rate of urbanization

2.07% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

73.4% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

31 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Alborz, Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e Gharbi (West Azerbaijan), Azarbayjan-e Sharqi (East Azerbaijan), Bushehr, Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Golestan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Kermanshah, Khorasan-e Jonubi (South Khorasan), Khorasan-e Razavi (Razavi Khorasan), Khorasan-e Shomali (North Khorasan), Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh va Bowyer Ahmad, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan

Capital

Tehran 35 42 N, 51 25 E UTC+3.5 (8.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) +1hr, begins fourth Tuesday in March; ends fourth Thursday in September

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins fourth Tuesday in March; ends fourth Thursday in September

geographic coordinates

35 42 N, 51 25 E

name

Tehran

time difference

UTC+3.5 (8.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

no the father must be a citizen of Iran no 5 years

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

the father must be a citizen of Iran

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

previous 1906; latest adopted 24 October 1979, effective 3 December 1979; amended 1989 (2016)

Country name

Islamic Republic of Iran Iran Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran Iran Persia name derives from the Avestan term "aryanam" meaning "Land of the noble [ones]"

conventional long form

Islamic Republic of Iran

conventional short form

Iran

etymology

name derives from the Avestan term "aryanam" meaning "Land of the noble [ones]"

former

Persia

local long form

Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran

local short form

Iran

Diplomatic representation from the US

none; note - the US Interests Section is located in the Embassy of Switzerland No. 39 Shahid Mousavi (Golestan 5th), Pasdaran Ave., Tehran, Iran; telephone [98] 21 2254 2178/2256 5273; FAX [98] 21 2258 0432

Diplomatic representation in the US

none; note - Iran has an Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy; address: Iranian Interests Section, Pakistani Embassy, 2209 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: [1] (202) 965-4990; FAX [1] (202) 965-1073

none; note - Iran has an Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy; address

Iranian Interests Section, Pakistani Embassy, 2209 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: [1] (202) 965-4990; FAX [1] (202) 965-1073

Executive branch

Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989) President Hasan Fereidun RUHANI (since 3 August 2013); First Vice President Eshaq JAHANGIRI (since 5 August 2013) Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative approval; the supreme leader has some control over appointments to several ministries supreme leader appointed for life by Assembly of Experts; president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term and an additional nonconsecutive term); election last held on 14 June 2013 (next to be held in June 2017) Hasan Fereidun RUHANI elected president; percent of vote - Hasan Fereidun RUHANI Moderation and Development Party) 50.7%, Mohammad Baqer QALIBAF (Progress and Justice Population of Islamic Iran) 16.5%, Saeed JALILI (Front of Islamic Revolution Stability) 11.4%, Mohsen REZAI (Conservative) 10.6%, Ali Akber VELAYATI (Islamic Coalition Party) 6.2%, other 4.6% 3 oversight bodies are also considered part of the executive branch of government

cabinet

Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative approval; the supreme leader has some control over appointments to several ministries

chief of state

Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989)

election results

Hasan Fereidun RUHANI elected president; percent of vote - Hasan Fereidun RUHANI Moderation and Development Party) 50.7%, Mohammad Baqer QALIBAF (Progress and Justice Population of Islamic Iran) 16.5%, Saeed JALILI (Front of Islamic Revolution Stability) 11.4%, Mohsen REZAI (Conservative) 10.6%, Ali Akber VELAYATI (Islamic Coalition Party) 6.2%, other 4.6%

elections/appointments

supreme leader appointed for life by Assembly of Experts; president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term and an additional nonconsecutive term); election last held on 14 June 2013 (next to be held in June 2017)

head of government

President Hasan Fereidun RUHANI (since 3 August 2013); First Vice President Eshaq JAHANGIRI (since 5 August 2013)

note

3 oversight bodies are also considered part of the executive branch of government

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah in the shape of a tulip, a symbol of martyrdom) in red is centered in the white band; ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) in white Arabic script is repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along the top edge of the red band; green is the color of Islam and also represents growth, white symbolizes honesty and peace, red stands for bravery and martyrdom

Government type

theocratic republic

Independence

1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed); notable earlier dates: ca. 550 B.C. (Achaemenid (Persian) Empire established); A.D. 1501 (Iran reunified under the Safavid Dynasty); 12 December 1925 (modern Iran established under the PAHLAVI Dynasty)

1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed); notable earlier dates

ca. 550 B.C. (Achaemenid (Persian) Empire established); A.D. 1501 (Iran reunified under the Safavid Dynasty); 12 December 1925 (modern Iran established under the PAHLAVI Dynasty)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

CICA, CP, D-8, ECO, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, SAARC (observer), SCO (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (consists of the president and NA judges) Supreme Court president appointed by the head of the High Judicial Council (HJC), a 5-member body to include the Supreme Court chief justice, the prosecutor general, and 3 clergy, in consultation with judges of the Supreme Court; president appointed for a 5-year term; other judges appointed by the HJC; judge tenure NA Penal Courts I and II; Islamic Revolutionary Courts; Courts of Peace; Special Clerical Court (functions outside the judicial system and handles cases involving clerics); military courts

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of the president and NA judges)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court president appointed by the head of the High Judicial Council (HJC), a 5-member body to include the Supreme Court chief justice, the prosecutor general, and 3 clergy, in consultation with judges of the Supreme Court; president appointed for a 5-year term; other judges appointed by the HJC; judge tenure NA

subordinate courts

Penal Courts I and II; Islamic Revolutionary Courts; Courts of Peace; Special Clerical Court (functions outside the judicial system and handles cases involving clerics); military courts

Legal system

religious legal system based on secular and Islamic law

Legislative branch

unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or Majles-e Shura-ye Eslami or Majles (290 seats; 285 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by two-round vote, and 1 seat each for Zoroastrians, Jews, Assyrian and Chaldean Christians, Armenians in the north of the country, and Armenians in the South; members serve 4-year terms); note - all candidates to the Majles must be approved by the Guardian Council, a 12-member group of which 6 are appointed by the supreme leader and 6 are jurists nominated by the judiciary and elected by the Majles first round held on 26 February 2016 with second round for 68 remaining seats held on 29 April 2016; (next to be held in 2020) percent of vote by party - List of Hope 41.7%, Principalists Grand Coalition 28.6%, People's Voice Coalition 3.8%, religious minorities 1.7%, other 1.7%, independent 22.4%,; seats by party - List of Hope 121, Principalists Grand Coalition 83, People's Voice Coalition 11, religious minorities 5, other 5, independent 65

description

unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or Majles-e Shura-ye Eslami or Majles (290 seats; 285 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by two-round vote, and 1 seat each for Zoroastrians, Jews, Assyrian and Chaldean Christians, Armenians in the north of the country, and Armenians in the South; members serve 4-year terms); note - all candidates to the Majles must be approved by the Guardian Council, a 12-member group of which 6 are appointed by the supreme leader and 6 are jurists nominated by the judiciary and elected by the Majles

election results

percent of vote by party - List of Hope 41.7%, Principalists Grand Coalition 28.6%, People's Voice Coalition 3.8%, religious minorities 1.7%, other 1.7%, independent 22.4%,; seats by party - List of Hope 121, Principalists Grand Coalition 83, People's Voice Coalition 11, religious minorities 5, other 5, independent 65

elections

first round held on 26 February 2016 with second round for 68 remaining seats held on 29 April 2016; (next to be held in 2020)

National anthem

"Soroud-e Melli-ye Jomhouri-ye Eslami-ye Iran" (National Anthem of the Islamic Republic of Iran) multiple authors/Hassan RIAHI adopted 1990

lyrics/music

multiple authors/Hassan RIAHI

name

"Soroud-e Melli-ye Jomhouri-ye Eslami-ye Iran" (National Anthem of the Islamic Republic of Iran)

note

adopted 1990

National holiday

Republic Day, 1 April (1979)

National symbol(s)

lion; national colors: green, white, red

lion; national colors

green, white, red

Political parties and leaders

List of Hope or People's Voice Coalition [Ali MOTAHARI] Pervasive Coalition of Reformists: The Second Step [Ali SOUFI, chairman] (includes Council for Coordinating the Reforms Front, National Trust Party, Union of Islamic Iran People Party, Moderation and Development Party, Followers of Walayat [Ali LARIJANI]) Principalists Grand Coalition [Alireza ZAKANI] (includes Combatant Clergy Association and Islamic Coalition Party, Society of Devotees and Pathseekers of the Islamic Revolution, Front of Islamic Revolution Stability) Progress and Justice Population of Islamic Iran [Hssein GHORBANZADEH]

Pervasive Coalition of Reformists

The Second Step [Ali SOUFI, chairman] (includes Council for Coordinating the Reforms Front, National Trust Party, Union of Islamic Iran People Party, Moderation and Development Party, Followers of Walayat [Ali LARIJANI])

Political pressure groups and leaders

Ansar-e Hizballah Democracy Party (Hezb-e Mardom Salari) Executives of Construction Party (Kargozaran) Followers of the Guardianship of the Jurisprudent (Rahrovan) Followers of the Line of the Imam and the Leader (Peyrovan) Islamic Iran Freedom Party (Hezb-e Azadegi) Islamic Coalition Party (Motalefeh) Islamic Labor Party (Hezb-e Kar) Militant Clerics Society or MCS (Ruhaniyun) Moderation and Development Party (Hezb-e Etedal va Tose-eh) Nation of Iran Unity Party (Hezb-e Etehad) National Trust Party (Hezb-e Etemad-e Meli) Qom Theological Lecturers Association Reform Front Coordination Council (Shora-ye Hamahangi Eslahat) Society of Devotees (Isargaran) Society of Modern Thinking Muslim Women of Iran (Jamiat-e Zanan-e Noandish) Steadfastness Front (Paydari) Tehran Militant Clergy Association or MCA (Ruhaniyat) Voice of Iranians (Neda) Wayfarers of the Islamic Revolution (Rahpuyan) Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan or KDPI Harekat-e Ansar-e Iran (splinter faction of Jundallah) Jaysh l-Adl (formerly known as Jundallah) Komala Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization or MEK (MKO) People's Fedayeen People's Free Life Party of Kurdistan or PJAK

groups that support the Islamic Republic

Ansar-e Hizballah

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, sugarcane, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar

Budget

$61.95 billion $68.72 billion (2015 est.)

expenditures

$68.72 billion (2015 est.)

revenues

$61.95 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1.7% of GDP (2015 est.)

Central bank discount rate

NA%

Commercial bank prime lending rate

14.2% (31 December 2015 est.) 14% (31 December 2014 est.)

Current account balance

$1.394 billion (2015 est.) $15.89 billion (2014 est.)

Debt - external

$5.348 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $5.495 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

44.5 (2006)

Economy - overview

Iran's economy is marked by statist policies, inefficiencies, and reliance on oil and gas exports, but Iran also possesses significant agricultural, industrial, and service sectors. The Iranian government directly owns and operates hundreds of state-owned enterprises and indirectly controls many companies affiliated with the country's security forces. Distortions - including inflation, price controls, subsidies, and a banking system holding billions of dollars of non-performing loans - weigh down the economy, undermining the potential for private-sector-led growth. Private sector activity includes small-scale workshops, farming, some manufacturing, and services, in addition to medium-scale construction, cement production, mining, and metalworking. Significant informal market activity flourishes and corruption is widespread. Fiscal and monetary constraints, following the expansion of international sanctions in 2012 on Iran's Central Bank and oil exports, significantly reduced Iran's oil revenue, forced government spending cuts, and sparked a sharp currency depreciation. Iran’s economy contracted for the first time in two decades during both 2012 and 2013, but growth resumed in 2014. Iran continues to suffer from high unemployment and underemployment. Lack of job opportunities has prompted many educated Iranian youth to seek employment overseas, resulting in a significant "brain drain." In June 2013, the election of President Hasan RUHANI generated widespread public expectations of economic improvement and greater international engagement. Almost two years into his term, RUHANI has achieved some success, including reining in inflation and, in July of 2015, securing the promise of sanctions relief for Iran by signing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the P5+1. The JCPOA, which severely limits Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for unfreezing Iranian assets and reopening Iran to international trade, should bolster foreign direct investment, increase trade, and stimulate growth. In spite of RUHANI’s efforts, Iran’s growth was tepid in 2015, and significant economic improvement resulting from sanctions relief will take months or years to materialize.

Exchange rates

Iranian rials (IRR) per US dollar - 29,011.5 (2015 est.) 25,941.7 (2014 est.) 25,912 (2013 est.) 12,176 (2012 est.) 10,616 (2011 est.)

Exports

$64.6 billion (2015 est.) $86.47 billion (2014 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets, cement, ore

Exports - partners

China 22.2%, India 9.9%, Turkey 8.4%, Japan 4.5% (2015)

Fiscal year

21 March - 20 March

GDP - composition, by end use

52.4% 10.6% 27% 6.6% 19.2% -15.8% (2015 est.)

exports of goods and services

19.2%

government consumption

10.6%

household consumption

52.4%

imports of goods and services

-15.8% (2015 est.)

investment in fixed capital

27%

investment in inventories

6.6%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

9.2% 38.8% 51.9% (2015 est.)

agriculture

9.2%

industry

38.8%

services

51.9% (2015 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$17,300 (2015 est.) $17,500 (2014 est.) $17,000 (2013 est.) data are in 2015 US dollars

note

data are in 2015 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

0% (2015 est.) 4.3% (2014 est.) -1.9% (2013 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$387.6 billion (2015 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.371 trillion (2015 est.) $1.371 trillion (2014 est.) $1.314 trillion (2013 est.) data are in 2015 US dollars

note

data are in 2015 US dollars

Gross national saving

36% of GDP (2015 est.) 37.1% of GDP (2014 est.) 40.2% of GDP (2013 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

2.6% 29.6% (2005)

highest 10%

29.6% (2005)

lowest 10%

2.6%

Imports

$52.42 billion (2015 est.) $65.08 billion (2014 est.)

Imports - commodities

industrial supplies, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services

Imports - partners

UAE 39.6%, China 22.4%, South Korea 4.7%, Turkey 4.6% (2015)

Industrial production growth rate

2.7% (2015 est.)

Industries

petroleum, petrochemicals, gas, fertilizers, caustic soda, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), ferrous and nonferrous metal fabrication, armaments

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

13.7% (2015 est.) 17.2% (2014 est.) official Iranian estimate

note

official Iranian estimate

Labor force

29.07 million shortage of skilled labor (2015 est.)

note

shortage of skilled labor (2015 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

16.3% 35.1% 48.6% (2013 est.)

agriculture

16.3%

industry

35.1%

services

48.6% (2013 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$172 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $140.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $107.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Population below poverty line

18.7% (2007 est.)

Public debt

11.4% of GDP (2015 est.) 10.3% of GDP (2014 est.) includes publicly guaranteed debt

note

includes publicly guaranteed debt

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$110 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $109 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Stock of broad money

$282.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $273.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$4.097 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $4.096 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$43.05 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $43.05 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$47.04 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $44.83 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$38.44 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $42.59 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

16% of GDP (2015 est.)

Unemployment rate

10.5% (2015 est.) 10.3% (2014 est.) data are according to the Iranian Government

note

data are according to the Iranian Government

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

650.4 million Mt (2014 est.)

Crude oil - exports

1.042 million bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - imports

87,440 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - production

3.3 million bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

157.8 billion bbl (1 January 2016 es)

Electricity - consumption

218 billion kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity - exports

9.7 billion kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

85.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

12.4% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

1.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

3.8 billion kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

77 million kW (2014 est.)

Electricity - production

258 billion kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity access

1,100,000 98.6% 100% 95% (2013)

electrification - rural areas

95% (2013)

electrification - total population

98.6%

electrification - urban areas

100%

population without electricity

1,100,000

Natural gas - consumption

170.2 billion cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - exports

9.86 billion cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - imports

6.886 billion cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - production

174.5 billion cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

34.02 trillion cu m (1 January 2016 es)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

1.952 million bbl/day (2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

240,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

12,630 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

1.93 million bbl/day (2013 est.)

Broadcast media

state-run broadcast media with no private, independent broadcasters; Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the state-run TV broadcaster, operates 5 nationwide channels, a news channel, about 30 provincial channels, and several international channels; about 20 foreign Persian-language TV stations broadcasting on satellite TV are capable of being seen in Iran; satellite dishes are illegal and, while their use had been tolerated, authorities began confiscating satellite dishes following the unrest stemming from the 2009 presidential election; IRIB operates 8 nationwide radio networks, a number of provincial stations, and an external service; most major international broadcasters transmit to Iran (2009)

Internet country code

.ir

Internet users

36.07 million 44.1% (July 2015 est.)

percent of population

44.1% (July 2015 est.)

total

36.07 million

Telephone system

currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing telephone service to several thousand villages not presently connected heavy investment by Iran's state-owned telecom company has greatly improved and expanded both the fixed-line and mobile cellular networks; a huge percentage of the cell phones in the market have been smuggled into the country country code - 98; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 13 (9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat) (2015)

domestic

heavy investment by Iran's state-owned telecom company has greatly improved and expanded both the fixed-line and mobile cellular networks; a huge percentage of the cell phones in the market have been smuggled into the country

general assessment

currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing telephone service to several thousand villages not presently connected

international

country code - 98; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 13 (9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat) (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines

30,418,973 37 (July 2015 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

37 (July 2015 est.)

total subscriptions

30,418,973

Telephones - mobile cellular

74.219 million 91 (July 2015 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

91 (July 2015 est.)

total

74.219 million

Airports

319 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

7 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

26

2,438 to 3,047 m

29

914 to 1,523 m

36

over 3,047 m

42

total

140

under 914 m

7 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

32 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

9

2,438 to 3,047 m

2

914 to 1,523 m

135

over 3,047 m

1

total

179

under 914 m

32 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

EP (2016)

Heliports

26 (2013)

Merchant marine

bulk carrier 8, cargo 51, chemical tanker 3, container 4, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 2 2 (UAE 2) 71 (Barbados 5, Cyprus 10, Hong Kong 3, Malta 48, Panama 5) (2010)

by type

bulk carrier 8, cargo 51, chemical tanker 3, container 4, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 2

foreign-owned

2 (UAE 2)

registered in other countries

71 (Barbados 5, Cyprus 10, Hong Kong 3, Malta 48, Panama 5) (2010)

total

76

National air transport system

15,003,958 107,184,869 mt-km (2015)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

107,184,869 mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

15,003,958

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

228

number of registered air carriers

15

Pipelines

condensate 7 km; condensate/gas 973 km; gas 20,794 km; liquid petroleum gas 570 km; oil 8,625 km; refined products 7,937 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

Bandar-e Asaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Bandar Emam Bandar Abbas (2,752,460)

container port(s) (TEUs)

Bandar Abbas (2,752,460)

major seaport(s)

Bandar-e Asaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Bandar Emam

Railways

8,483.5 km 94 km 1.676-m gauge 8,389.5 km 1.435-m gauge (189.5 km electrified) (2014)

broad gauge

94 km 1.676-m gauge

standard gauge

8,389.5 km 1.435-m gauge (189.5 km electrified) (2014)

total

8,483.5 km

Roadways

198,866 km 160,366 km (includes 1,948 km of expressways) 38,500 km (2010)

paved

160,366 km (includes 1,948 km of expressways)

total

198,866 km

unpaved

38,500 km (2010)

Waterways

850 km (on Karun River; some navigation on Lake Urmia) (2012)

Military branches

Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh): Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force (IRIAF), Khatemolanbia Air Defense Headquarters; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enqelab-e Eslami, IRGC): Ground Resistance Forces, Navy, Aerospace Force, Qods Force (special operations); Law Enforcement Forces (2015)

Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh)

Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force (IRIAF), Khatemolanbia Air Defense Headquarters; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enqelab-e Eslami, IRGC): Ground Resistance Forces, Navy, Aerospace Force, Qods Force (special operations); Law Enforcement Forces (2015)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for volunteers; 17 years of age for Law Enforcement Forces; 15 years of age for Basij Forces (Popular Mobilization Army); conscript military service obligation is 18 months; women exempt from military service (2012)

Disputes - international

Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed Helmand River tributaries during drought; Iraq's lack of a maritime boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction disputes beyond the mouth of the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf; Iran and UAE dispute Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island, which are occupied by Iran; Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia ratified Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on a one-fifth slice of the sea; Afghan and Iranian commissioners have discussed boundary monument densification and resurvey

Illicit drugs

despite substantial interdiction efforts and considerable control measures along the border with Afghanistan, Iran remains one of the primary transshipment routes for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; suffers one of the highest opiate addiction rates in the world, and has an increasing problem with synthetic drugs; regularly enforces the death penalty for drug offences; lacks anti-money laundering laws; has reached out to neighboring countries to share counter-drug intelligence

Refugees and internally displaced persons

2.5 - 3.0 (1 million registered, 1.5 - 2.0 million undocumented) (Afghanistan); 28,268 (Iraq) (2015)

refugees (country of origin)

2.5 - 3.0 (1 million registered, 1.5 - 2.0 million undocumented) (Afghanistan); 28,268 (Iraq) (2015)

Trafficking in persons

Iran is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; organized groups sex traffic Iranian women and children in Iran and to the UAE and Europe; the transport of girls from and through Iran en route to the Gulf for sexual exploitation or forced marriages is on the rise; Iranian children are also forced to work as beggars, street vendors, and in domestic workshops; Afghan boys forced to work in construction or agriculture are vulnerable to sexual abuse by their employers; Pakistani and Afghan migrants being smuggled to Europe often are subjected to forced labor, including debt bondage Tier 3 – Iran does not comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government does not share information on its anti-trafficking efforts, but publically available information from NGOs, the media, and international organizations indicates that Iran is not taking adequate measures to address its trafficking problems, particularly protecting victims; Iranian law does not prohibit all forms of human trafficking; female victims find it extremely difficult to get justice because Iranian courts accord women’s testimony half the weight of men's, and female victims of sexual abuse, including trafficking, are likely to be prosecuted for adultery; the government did not identify or provide protection services to any victims and continued to punish victims for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked; the government made some effort to cooperate with neighboring governments and an international organization to combat human trafficking and other crimes (2015)

current situation

Iran is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; organized groups sex traffic Iranian women and children in Iran and to the UAE and Europe; the transport of girls from and through Iran en route to the Gulf for sexual exploitation or forced marriages is on the rise; Iranian children are also forced to work as beggars, street vendors, and in domestic workshops; Afghan boys forced to work in construction or agriculture are vulnerable to sexual abuse by their employers; Pakistani and Afghan migrants being smuggled to Europe often are subjected to forced labor, including debt bondage

tier rating

Tier 3 – Iran does not comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government does not share information on its anti-trafficking efforts, but publically available information from NGOs, the media, and international organizations indicates that Iran is not taking adequate measures to address its trafficking problems, particularly protecting victims; Iranian law does not prohibit all forms of human trafficking; female victims find it extremely difficult to get justice because Iranian courts accord women’s testimony half the weight of men's, and female victims of sexual abuse, including trafficking, are likely to be prosecuted for adultery; the government did not identify or provide protection services to any victims and continued to punish victims for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked; the government made some effort to cooperate with neighboring governments and an international organization to combat human trafficking and other crimes (2015)