Rural population, per square kilometre in Iran
Iran: Rural population, per square kilometre was 13.03 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
13.03 units per square kilometre
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
154th
of 215 countries
All-time high
15.87 units per square kilometre
in 1991
All-time low
8.88 units per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Rural population, per square kilometre in Iran, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, rural population, per square kilometre in Iran stood at 13.03 units per square kilometre.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and down 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population, per square kilometre in Iran peaked at 15.87 units per square kilometre in 1991 and was at its lowest, 8.88 units per square kilometre, in 1961.
Iran ranks 154th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Rural population, per square kilometre in Iran, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 8.88 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 9.06 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1963 | 9.25 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1964 | 9.44 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1965 | 9.66 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1966 | 9.88 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1967 | 10 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1968 | 10.15 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1969 | 10.31 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1970 | 10.46 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1971 | 10.61 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1972 | 10.76 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 10.9 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1974 | 11.04 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1975 | 11.19 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1976 | 11.39 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1977 | 11.53 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 11.74 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 11.98 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 12.25 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1981 | 12.72 units per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 1982 | 13.21 units per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 1983 | 13.53 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 13.84 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1985 | 14.14 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 14.48 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 14.79 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 15.09 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 15.35 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 15.61 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 15.87 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 15.83 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 15.57 units per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 1994 | 15.28 units per square kilometre | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 15.12 units per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 15.03 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 14.8 units per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 14.69 units per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 14.58 units per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 14.49 units per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 14.4 units per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 14.23 units per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 14.1 units per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 14.12 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 14.17 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 14.28 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 14.29 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 14.2 units per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 14.09 units per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 13.97 units per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 13.86 units per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 13.76 units per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 13.67 units per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 13.59 units per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 13.52 units per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 13.44 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 13.41 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 13.37 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 13.3 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 13.19 units per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 13.09 units per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 13.06 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 13.03 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 13.03 units per square kilometre is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 27.02 units per square kilometre, 48% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Iran's 13.03 units per square kilometre is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 23.54 units per square kilometre, 55% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9.63 units per square kilometre | 8.88 units per square kilometre | 10.31 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 11.16 units per square kilometre | 10.46 units per square kilometre | 11.98 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.94 units per square kilometre | 12.25 units per square kilometre | 15.35 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.24 units per square kilometre | 14.58 units per square kilometre | 15.87 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.24 units per square kilometre | 14.09 units per square kilometre | 14.49 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.59 units per square kilometre | 13.3 units per square kilometre | 13.97 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.09 units per square kilometre | 13.03 units per square kilometre | 13.19 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 151 Luxembourg 13.46 units per square kilometre compare
- 152 Somalia 13.44 units per square kilometre compare
- 153 Mali 13.44 units per square kilometre compare
- 155 Turkey 12.17 units per square kilometre compare
- 156 Bhutan 12.01 units per square kilometre compare
- 157 Chad 11.3 units per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for Iran
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -25.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1059 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 415.77 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.6359 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.2262 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 10.6% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 10.6% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2022)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 3.0% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population, per square kilometre in Iran?
- Rural population, per square kilometre in Iran was 13.03 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 15.87 units per square kilometre in 1991.
- What is the lowest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.88 units per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Iran rank for rural population, per square kilometre?
- Iran ranks 154th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is rural population, per square kilometre rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Rural population, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Rural population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Rural population ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Rural population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Rural population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.