Iran

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

total: 36.07 million | percent of population: 44.1% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 26

Telephone system

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 | 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 | 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

total subscriptions: 30,818,011 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 10

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 74.219 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 91 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 22

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $71.25 billion | expenditures: $80.58 billion (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2.5% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 102

Central bank discount rate

NA%

Commercial bank prime lending rate

18% (31 December 2016 est.) | 14.21% (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 22

Current account balance

$16.39 billion (2016 est.) | $9.016 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 17

Debt - external

$8.196 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $6.321 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 118

Distribution of family income - Gini index

44.5 (2006) | country comparison to the world: 44

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's stock market plunged between 2013 and 2015. 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. 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.

Exchange rates

Iranian rials (IRR) per US dollar - | 30,914.9 (2016 est.) | 30,914.9 (2015 est.) | 29,011.5 (2014 est.) | 25,912 (2013 est.) | 12,176 (2012 est.)

Exports

$83.98 billion (2016 est.) | $64.6 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 38

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

China 30.1%, India 16.7%, South Korea 9.7%, Turkey 9.5%, Japan 6.8% (2016)

Fiscal year

21 March - 20 March

GDP (official exchange rate)

$404.4 billion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.549 trillion (2016 est.) | $1.36 trillion (2015 est.) | $1.367 trillion (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 19

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 48.9% | government consumption: 13.1% | investment in fixed capital: 19.8% | investment in inventories: 16.6% | exports of goods and services: 22.4% | imports of goods and services: -20.8% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 9.8% | industry: 34.3% | services: 55.9% (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$19,300 (2016 est.) | $17,300 (2015 est.) | $17,800 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 92

GDP - real growth rate

12.5% (2016 est.) | -1.6% (2015 est.) | 3.2% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 20

Gross national saving

37.6% of GDP (2016 est.) | 37.3% of GDP (2015 est.) | 43.6% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.6% | highest 10%: 29.6% (2005)

Imports

$63.14 billion (2016 est.) | $52.42 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 44

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

UAE 27.4%, China 13.2%, Turkey 7.8%, South Korea 4.3%, Germany 4% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

24.7% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 2

Industries

petroleum, petrochemicals, gas, fertilizer, 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)

9% (2016 est.) | 13.7% (2015 est.) | note: official Iranian estimate | country comparison to the world: 199

Labor force

29.75 million | note: shortage of skilled labor (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 22

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 16.3% | industry: 35.1% | services: 48.6% (2013 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$89.43 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $116.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $345.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 41

Population below poverty line

18.7% (2007 est.)

Public debt

13.4% of GDP (2016 est.) | 12.3% of GDP (2015 est.) | note: includes publicly guaranteed debt | country comparison to the world: 193

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$133.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $116 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 19

Stock of broad money

$366 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $307.1 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 27

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$4.656 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $4.097 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 72

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$46.02 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $43.05 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 58

Stock of domestic credit

$315.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $259.7 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 35

Stock of narrow money

$47.59 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $38.44 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 52

Taxes and other revenues

18.9% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 163

Unemployment rate

12.5% (2016 est.) | 10.5% (2015 est.) | note: data are Iranian government numbers | country comparison to the world: 136

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

650.4 million Mt (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 8

Crude oil - exports

1.342 million bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 12

Crude oil - imports

33,710 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 60

Crude oil - production

4.068 million bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 5

Crude oil - proved reserves

158.4 billion bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 4

Electricity - consumption

220.9 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 19

Electricity - exports

6.822 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 29

Electricity - from fossil fuels

83.2% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 80

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

13.9% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 109

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

1.3% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 31

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0.2% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 160

Electricity - imports

4.148 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 46

Electricity - installed generating capacity

72.94 million kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 16

Electricity - production

265.1 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 17

Electricity access

population without electricity: 1,100,000 | electrification - total population: 98.6% | electrification - urban areas: 100% | electrification - rural areas: 95% (2013)

Natural gas - consumption

186 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9

Natural gas - exports

8.38 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 25

Natural gas - imports

9.55 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 29

Natural gas - production

184.8 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 3

Natural gas - proved reserves

33.5 trillion cu m (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 2

Refined petroleum products - consumption

1.922 million bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 13

Refined petroleum products - exports

272,600 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 28

Refined petroleum products - imports

47,750 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 85

Refined petroleum products - production

1.801 million bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 12

Area

total: 1,648,195 sq km | land: 1,531,595 sq km | water: 116,600 sq km | country comparison to the world: 19

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

mean elevation: 1,305 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m | highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,625 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

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

total: 5,894 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

Land use

agricultural land: 30.1% | arable land 10.8%; permanent crops 1.2%; permanent pasture 18.1% | 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

territorial sea: 12 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | exclusive economic zone: bilateral agreements or median lines in the Persian Gulf | continental shelf: natural prolongation

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 lower population density

Terrain

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

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

name: Tehran | geographic coordinates: 35 42 N, 51 25 E | time difference: UTC+3.5 (8.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) | daylight saving time: +1hr, begins fourth Wednesday in March; ends fourth Friday in September

Citizenship

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

history: previous 1906; latest adopted 24 October 1979, effective 3 December 1979 | amendments: proposed by the supreme leader – after consultation with the Exigency Council – and submitted as an edict to the “Council for Revision of the Constitution,” a body consisting of various executive, legislative, judicial, and academic leaders and members; passage requires absolute majority vote in a referendum and approval of the supreme leader; articles including Iran’s political system, its religious basis, and its form of government cannot be amended; amended 1989 (2016)

Country name

conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Iran | conventional short form: Iran | local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran | local short form: Iran | former: Persia | etymology: name derives from the Avestan term "aryanam" meaning "Land of the noble [ones]"

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

Executive branch

chief of state: Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989) | head of government: President Hasan Fereidun RUHANI (since 3 August 2013); First Vice President Eshaq JAHANGIRI (since 5 August 2013) | cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative approval; the supreme leader has some control over appointments to several ministries | 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 19 May 2017 (next to be held in 2021) | election results: Hasan Fereidun RUHANI reelected president; percent of vote - Hasan Fereidun RUHANI (Moderation and Development Party) 50.7%, Mohammad Bagher GHALIBAF (PJP) 16.6%, Mohsen REZAI (Resistance Front of Islamic Iran) 10.6%, Saeed JALILI (Front of Islamic Revolutionary Stability 11.4% other 10.7% | 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); 1794 (beginning of Qajar 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

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

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 2-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 Guardians 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 | elections: first round held on 26 February 2016 and second round for 68 remaining seats held on 29 April 2016; (next full Majles election to be held in 2020) | election results: percent of vote by coalition - List of Hope 37.2%, Principlists Grand Coalition 25.9%, People's Voice Coalition 4.5%, joint Hope/People’s Voice 4.1%, joint People’s Voice/Principlist 0.3%, religious minorities 1.7%, independent 26.4%; seats by coalition - List of Hope 108, Principlists Grand Coalition 75, People's Voice Coalition 13, joint Hope/People’s Voice 12, joint People’s Voice/Principlist 1, religious minorities 5, independent 76

National anthem

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

National holiday

Republic Day, 1 April (1979)

National symbol(s)

lion; national colors: green, white, red

Political parties and leaders

Followers of Walayat [Ali LARIJANI] | Front of Islamic Revolutionary Stability [Morteza AGHA-TEHRANI, general secretary] | 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) | Principlists 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 or PJP [Hossein GHORBANZADEH, General Secretary] | Resistance Front of Islamic Iran [Yadollah HABIBI, general secretary]

Political pressure groups and leaders

political groups that support the Islamic Republic: 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); | armed political groups repressed by the government: 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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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 (AOE) - 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, but the protests were quickly suppressed. 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. Iran held elections in 2016 for the AOE and Majles, resulting in a conservative-controlled AOE and a Majles that many Iranians perceive as more supportive of the RUHANI administration than the previous, conservative-dominated body. Iran will hold presidential elections in May 2017. RUHANI is currently favored to win a second term.

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)

Military expenditures

2.69% of GDP (2015) | 2.33% of GDP (2014) | 2.35% of GDP (2013) | 2.81% of GDP (2012) | 2.41% of GDP (2011)

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)

Age structure

0-14 years: 24.19% (male 10,154,424/female 9,690,512) | 15-24 years: 14.69% (male 6,174,435/female 5,878,475) | 25-54 years: 48.57% (male 20,316,773/female 19,522,673) | 55-64 years: 7.22% (male 2,920,111/female 2,999,525) | 65 years and over: 5.32% (male 2,026,594/female 2,338,042) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

17.9 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 101

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

4.1% (2011) | country comparison to the world: 93

Contraceptive prevalence rate

77.4% (2010/11)

Death rate

5.3 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 183

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 40.2 | youth dependency ratio: 33.1 | elderly dependency ratio: 7.1 | potential support ratio: 14.2 (2015 est.)

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.)

Education expenditures

2.9% of GDP (2015) | country comparison to the world: 119

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 103

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,000 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 34

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

66,000 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 52

Health expenditures

6.9% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 84

Hospital bed density

0.1 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

total: 15.9 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 17 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 14.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 99

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74 years | male: 72.7 years | female: 75.5 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 129

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 86.8% | male: 91.2% | female: 82.5% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases

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.) | country comparison to the world: 123

Median age

total: 30.3 years | male: 30 years | female: 30.5 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 122

Nationality

noun: Iranian(s) | adjective: Iranian

Net migration rate

-0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 110

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

25.8% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 47

Physicians density

1.49 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

82,021,564 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 17

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 lower population density

Population growth rate

1.24% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

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.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 15 years | male: 15 years | female: 15 years (2015)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 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 | total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.97 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 124

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 26.1% | male: 22.3% | female: 42.8% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 44

Urbanization

urban population: 74.4% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 1.78% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

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

refugees (country of origin): 2.5-3.0 (1 million registered, 1.5-2.0 million undocumented) (Afghanistan); 28,268 (Iraq) (2016)

Trafficking in persons

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)

Airports

319 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 22

Airports - with paved runways

total: 140 | over 3,047 m: 42 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 29 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 26 | 914 to 1,523 m: 36 | under 914 m: 7 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 179 | over 3,047 m: 1 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 | 914 to 1,523 m: 135 | under 914 m: 32 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

EP (2016)

Heliports

26 (2013)

Merchant marine

total: 76 | 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) | country comparison to the world: 61

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 15 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 228 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 15,003,958 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 107,184,869 mt-km (2015)

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

major seaport(s): Bandar-e Asaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Bandar Emam | container port(s) (TEUs): Bandar Abbas (2,752,460)

Railways

total: 8,483.5 km | broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge | standard gauge: 8,389.5 km 1.435-m gauge (189.5 km electrified) (2014) | country comparison to the world: 25

Roadways

total: 198,866 km | paved: 160,366 km (includes 1,948 km of expressways) | unpaved: 38,500 km (2010) | country comparison to the world: 27

Waterways

850 km (on Karun River; some navigation on Lake Urmia) (2012) | country comparison to the world: 69