Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Iran
Iran: Distribution of population between different poverty lines was 46.53 million people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Iran, 1986–2023
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Iran recorded 46.53 million people for distribution of population between different poverty lines in 2023. That is the highest value across all 20 years on record.
That represents a change of up 6.1% on the previous year and up 22.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of population between different poverty lines in Iran peaked at 46.53 million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 12.59 million people, in 1990.
Iran ranks 18th of 120 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.
Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Iran, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 12.90 million people | — |
| 1990 | 12.59 million people | -2.5% |
| 1994 | 16.81 million people | +33.6% |
| 1998 | 19.98 million people | +18.8% |
| 2005 | 37.97 million people | +90.0% |
| 2006 | 38.65 million people | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 41.31 million people | +6.9% |
| 2011 | 39.03 million people | -5.5% |
| 2012 | 39.95 million people | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 38.05 million people | -4.8% |
| 2014 | 36.56 million people | -3.9% |
| 2015 | 37.92 million people | +3.7% |
| 2016 | 38.53 million people | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 42.01 million people | +9.0% |
| 2018 | 39.68 million people | -5.5% |
| 2019 | 35.21 million people | -11.3% |
| 2020 | 35.03 million people | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 40.03 million people | +14.3% |
| 2022 | 43.84 million people | +9.5% |
| 2023 | 46.53 million people | +6.1% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 46.53 million people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 8.77 million people, 5.3× the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Iran's 46.53 million people is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 8.59 million people, 5.4× the median. (10 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Iran changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | +90.0% | 19.98 million people | 37.97 million people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12.90 million people | 12.90 million people | 12.90 million people | 1 |
| 1990s | 16.46 million people | 12.59 million people | 19.98 million people | 3 |
| 2000s | 39.31 million people | 37.97 million people | 41.31 million people | 3 |
| 2010s | 38.55 million people | 35.21 million people | 42.01 million people | 9 |
| 2020s | 41.36 million people | 35.03 million people | 46.53 million people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More poverty & inequality data for Iran
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 8 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.7 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 2,420 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 4.44 % change on previous year (2023)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via -11.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gender Inequality Index 0.482 (2023)
- Share of government consumption in GDP vs. share of population living in extreme poverty 29.4% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is distribution of population between different poverty lines in Iran?
- Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Iran was 46.53 million people in 2023, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 46.53 million people in 2023.
- What is the lowest distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.59 million people in 1990.
- How does Iran rank for distribution of population between different poverty lines?
- Iran ranks 18th out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
- Is distribution of population between different poverty lines rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Distribution of population between different poverty lines. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 20 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $10 per day.