📜 A long story
Iran, 1800 → today
Iran grew from 6 million in 1800 to 90.6 million; a newborn can expect 39.5 more years of life than in 1950, and output per person is 21× its 1820 level, adjusted for inflation.
Told with long-run reconstructions, not the yearly series used elsewhere on the site: each chapter names its source. Scroll to move through the years.
☺ Chapter 1 · Population
How many people live there?
1800
In 1800, about 6 million people lived in Iran.
1900
10.1 million people.
1.7× the 1800 level
1950
16.5 million people.
1.6× the 1900 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1929.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 13% between 1911 and 1919 (10.9 million → 9.44 million).
2023
90.6 million people, the latest year in this series.
5.5× the 1950 level
Reached 5 times the 1800 level in 1971.
Reached 10 times the 1800 level in 1992.
Long-run series: before 1950, reconstructions by HYDE and Gapminder, filled in between benchmark years by those sources. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
✚ Chapter 2 · Life expectancy
How long do people live?
1950
In 1950, a newborn in Iran could expect to live 38.2 years, on average.
2023
77.7 years, the latest year in this series.
+40 years since 1950
Passed 40 years in 1954.
Passed 50 years in 1970.
Passed 60 years in 1984.
Passed 70 years in 2000.
Long-run series: before 1950, historical estimates (Riley, Clio Infra, Human Mortality Database), only for years they cover.
◎ Chapter 3 · GDP per person (PPP)
How much is produced per person?
1820
In 1820, Iran produced about Int$877 per person, in 2011 prices.
1950
Int$2,740.
3.1× the 1820 level
Reached twice the 1820 level in 1950 (no data between 1913 and 1950, so it may have happened earlier).
2022
Int$18,500, the latest year in this series.
6.8× the 1950 level
Reached 5 times the 1820 level in 1965.
Reached 10 times the 1820 level in 1974.
Reached 20 times the 1820 level in 2010.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 45% between 1976 and 1981 (Int$10,700 → Int$5,890).
Long-run series (Maddison Project) in 2011 international dollars: adjusted for inflation, so not the same unit as today’s PPP figure. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates. Dashed stretches are years without data.
❦ Chapter 4 · CO₂ per person
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
1906
In 1906, fossil fuels and industry in Iran emitted about 0.00034 t of CO₂ per person.
1950
0.6 t.
1,704× the 1906 level
Reached twice the 1906 level, reached 5 times the 1906 level, reached 10 times the 1906 level, reached 20 times the 1906 level in 1911 (no data between 1906 and 1911, so it may have happened earlier).
Reached 50 times the 1906 level in 1912.
2024
8.7 t, the latest year in this series.
15× the 1950 level
The sharpest fall in the data: down 99% between 1948 and 1954 (4.8 t → 0.1 t).
Long-run series: fossil CO₂ emitted within each country’s borders (Global Carbon Budget); early estimates are less certain. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates. Dashed stretches are years without data.
☕ Chapter 5 · Years of schooling
How long do people go to school?
1870
In 1870, people aged 15–64 in Iran had spent 0.01 years in school, on average.
1900
0.02 years.
about the same as 1870
1950
0.6 years.
+0.58 years since 1900
2015
9.4 years, the latest year in this series.
+8.8 years since 1950
Passed 2 years in 1970.
Passed 4 years in 1985.
Passed 6 years in 1995.
Passed 8 years in 2005.
Long-run series (Lee & Lee, Barro & Lee) for people aged 15–64, every 5 years until 2015: a different age group than today’s figure (25 and older).