Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Iran
Iran: Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median was 12.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Iran, 1986–2023
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Iran stood at 12.6%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 20.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Iran peaked at 20.5% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 10.5%, in 2013.
That places Iran 47th out of 120 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.
Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Iran, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 20.5% | — |
| 1990 | 19.0% | -7.7% |
| 1994 | 18.1% | -4.8% |
| 1998 | 19.3% | +7.0% |
| 2005 | 17.4% | -9.9% |
| 2006 | 18.6% | +6.8% |
| 2009 | 17.9% | -3.6% |
| 2011 | 12.1% | -32.7% |
| 2012 | 11.2% | -7.6% |
| 2013 | 10.5% | -6.3% |
| 2014 | 11.8% | +13.0% |
| 2015 | 11.6% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 11.6% | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 12.6% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | 12.4% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 13.1% | +6.0% |
| 2020 | 12.7% | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 13.1% | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 12.5% | -4.5% |
| 2023 | 12.6% | +0.1% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 12.6% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 13.4%, 94% of the median. (35 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 relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Iran?
- Relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Iran was 12.6% in 2023, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 20.5% in 1986.
- What is the lowest relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.5% in 2013.
- How does Iran rank for relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median?
- Iran ranks 47th out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
- Is relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.1%. 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 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below 50% of the median.