Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iran
Iran: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income was 12.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iran, 1986–2023
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iran stood at 12.6%.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 20.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iran peaked at 20.5% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 10.5%, in 2013.
Iran ranks 50th of 123 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iran, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 20.5% | — |
| 1990 | 19.0% | -7.3% |
| 1994 | 18.1% | -4.7% |
| 1998 | 19.3% | +6.6% |
| 2005 | 17.4% | -9.8% |
| 2006 | 18.6% | +6.9% |
| 2009 | 17.9% | -3.8% |
| 2011 | 12.1% | -32.4% |
| 2012 | 11.2% | -7.4% |
| 2013 | 10.5% | -6.2% |
| 2014 | 11.8% | +12.4% |
| 2015 | 11.6% | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 11.6% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 12.6% | +8.6% |
| 2018 | 12.4% | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 13.1% | +5.6% |
| 2020 | 12.7% | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 13.1% | +3.1% |
| 2022 | 12.5% | -4.6% |
| 2023 | 12.6% | +0.8% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 12.6% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 14.8%, 85% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Iran's 12.6% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 10.6%, 1.2× the median. (10 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 20.5% | 20.5% | 20.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 18.8% | 18.1% | 19.3% | 3 |
| 2000s | 18.0% | 17.4% | 18.6% | 3 |
| 2010s | 11.9% | 10.5% | 13.1% | 9 |
| 2020s | 12.7% | 12.5% | 13.1% | 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 proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iran?
- Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iran was 12.6% in 2023, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 20.5% in 1986.
- What is the lowest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.5% in 2013.
- How does Iran rank for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
- Iran ranks 50th out of 123 countries with data for 2023.
- Is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The percentage of people in the population who live in households whose per capita income or consumption is below half of the median income or consumption per capita. The median is measured at 2021 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) using the Poverty and Inequality Platform (http://www.pip.worldbank.org). For some countries, medians are not reported due to grouped and/or confidential data. The reference year is the year in which the underlying household survey data was collected. In cases for which the data collection period bridged two calendar years, the first year in which data were collected is reported.