Population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Population in cities over 1 million — Iran

Population in cities over 1 million in Iran in 2025 — 23,309,705 people. Ranked 18 in the world out of 121. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 610.7%.

2025 23.31M people +1.2% vs 2024
World rank 18of 121
Period maximum 23.31M people2025
Period minimum 3.28M people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population in cities over 1 million — Iran, 1960–2025010M20M30M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 3,279,743 people1962: 3,648,842 people1964: 4,061,741 people1966: 4,522,567 people1968: 5,009,366 people1970: 5,542,187 people1972: 6,134,233 people1974: 6,790,618 people1976: 7,520,767 people1978: 8,220,821 people1980: 8,980,736 people1982: 9,836,182 people1984: 10,806,898 people1986: 11,911,684 people1988: 12,577,122 people1990: 13,210,487 people1992: 13,779,666 people1994: 14,194,219 people1996: 14,624,807 people1998: 15,172,353 people2000: 15,759,227 people2002: 16,370,896 people2004: 17,010,333 people2006: 17,677,138 people2008: 18,322,058 people2010: 18,985,005 people2012: 19,615,904 people2014: 20,146,021 people2016: 20,694,108 people2018: 21,258,844 people2020: 21,850,176 people2022: 22,458,915 people2024: 23,033,089 people2025: 23,309,705 people
Change over the period: +20.03M (+610.72%) Average annual rate: 3.06 %

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Iran

Iran 23.31M people
World computed 2.01B people
Middle East & North Africa computed 130M people
Southern Asia computed 360M people
Lower-middle-income countries computed 574M people
Population in cities over 1 million — Iran, by year Iran All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 23.31M +276,616 +1.2%
2024 23.03M +283,968 +1.25%
2023 22.75M +290,206 +1.29%
2022 22.46M +301,783 +1.36%
2021 22.16M +306,956 +1.4%
2020 21.85M +299,662 +1.39%
2019 21.55M +291,670 +1.37%
2018 21.26M +284,625 +1.36%
2017 20.97M +280,111 +1.35%
2016 20.69M +276,423 +1.35%
2015 20.42M +271,664 +1.35%
2014 20.15M +267,357 +1.34%
2013 19.88M +262,760 +1.34%
2012 19.62M +287,862 +1.49%
2011 19.33M +343,037 +1.81%
2010 18.99M +335,412 +1.8%
2009 18.65M +327,535 +1.79%
2008 18.32M +321,188 +1.78%
2007 18M +323,732 +1.83%
2006 17.68M +337,249 +1.94%
2005 17.34M +329,556 +1.94%
2004 17.01M +323,390 +1.94%
2003 16.69M +316,047 +1.93%
2002 16.37M +309,322 +1.93%
2001 16.06M +302,347 +1.92%
2000 15.76M +296,768 +1.92%
1999 15.46M +290,106 +1.91%
1998 15.17M +284,007 +1.91%
1997 14.89M +263,539 +1.8%
1996 14.62M +217,419 +1.51%
1995 14.41M +213,169 +1.5%
1994 14.19M +209,307 +1.5%
1993 13.98M +205,246 +1.49%
1992 13.78M +236,986 +1.75%
1991 13.54M +332,193 +2.51%
1990 13.21M +321,865 +2.5%
1989 12.89M +311,500 +2.48%
1988 12.58M +302,770 +2.47%
1987 12.27M +362,668 +3.04%
1986 11.91M +571,218 +5.04%
1985 11.34M +533,568 +4.94%
1984 10.81M +501,198 +4.86%
1983 10.31M +469,518 +4.77%
1982 9.84M +441,081 +4.69%
1981 9.4M +414,365 +4.61%
1980 8.98M +391,365 +4.56%
1979 8.59M +368,550 +4.48%
1978 8.22M +347,964 +4.42%
1977 7.87M +352,090 +4.68%
1976 7.52M +374,953 +5.25%
1975 7.15M +355,196 +5.23%
1974 6.79M +337,013 +5.22%
1973 6.45M +319,372 +5.21%
1972 6.13M +303,948 +5.21%
1971 5.83M +288,098 +5.2%
1970 5.54M +273,501 +5.19%
1969 5.27M +259,320 +5.18%
1968 5.01M +246,919 +5.18%
1967 4.76M +239,880 +5.3%
1966 4.52M +236,983 +5.53%
1965 4.29M +223,843 +5.51%
1964 4.06M +212,322 +5.52%
1963 3.85M +200,577 +5.5%
1962 3.65M +189,772 +5.49%
1961 3.46M +179,327 +5.47%
1960 3.28M

Southern Asia, 2025

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

About the indicator

The population of urban agglomerations with more than one million residents. The unit of count is the agglomeration, not the city within its administrative boundaries, and that is essential: along administrative lines many of the largest concentrations of people break up into dozens of municipalities. The indicator measures not urbanization as such but its concentration in large centers — a country can be highly urbanized without a single million-plus city.

Important: The table covers about 120 territories — the rest have no agglomerations of this size, and that is a zero, not a gap. Aggregates for groups of countries are therefore calculated at a lowered coverage threshold.

Source: World Population Prospects (UN), license CC BY 3.0 IGO.