Sunni Muslims (estimated at 9 percent of the country’s population) are the largest religious minority in Iran. Population of Iran: today, historical, and projected population, growth rate, immigration, median age. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The capital is Tehrān, a sprawling, jumbled metropolis at the southern foot of the Elburz Mountains. Collectively, the highest Shiite religious leadership are designated as the Marjaiya (collective of Maraji al-Taqlids) and the educational institutions and the staff connected with them are the Hawza Ilmiya (Area of Knowledge). Depending on his level of knowledge, a religious student acquires successively the honorary titles Thiqat al-Islam (Trust of Islam), Hujjat al-Islam (Hojatolislam, Proof of Islam) and Ayat Allah (Ayatollah, Sign of God). Although Ali, regarded by the Shiites as their first imam, was chosen as the fourth caliph by the Sunnis (as successor to the caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman), the conflict between the two main branches of Islam over leadership escalated after his death. Every year Shiites commemorate these dramatic events during Ashura, the tenth day of the month of mourning known as Muharram (Ashura means tenth in Arabic). Since the discovery of ‘black gold’ in the early 20th century, many have moved to Khuzestan in search of work. The current population of Iran in 2020 is 83,992,949, a 1.3% increase from 2019.; The population of Iran in 2019 was 82,913,906, a 1.36% increase from 2018.; The population of Iran in 2018 was 81,800,188, a 1.4% increase from 2017.; The population of Iran in 2017 was … Religious Minorities Iranians belonging to non-Muslim religious minorities make up only 2 percent of the population and include Christians, Bahais, Jews, and Zoroastrians. Over the following centuries, with the state-fostered rise of a Persian-based Shiʿi clergy, a synthesis was formed between Persian culture and Shiʿi Islam that marked each indelibly with the tincture of the other. In 2000, the total fertility rates in urban and rural areas of Iran ranged were about 1.9 and 2.4 percent, respectively. Get the latest update on the Coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East and North Africa. After the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 CE, there arose two different camps within the umma (Muslim community) with regard to his succession, the Sunnis and Shiites. Women were encouraged to wait three to four years between pregnancies, maternity-leave benefits were restricted after three children, and women under 18 or over 35 were discouraged from having children.

Most attacks have been directed at the military, the Revolutionary Guards, and government officials. (1991, 1996), 2006, 2011, 2016 census, (2019 projection) Provinces. During the revolutionary year of 1979 Kurdish fighters again succeeded in taking control of large parts of provinces inhabited by Kurds, but the new Islamic Republic tolerated no Kurdish nationalist demands for autonomy. Other ethnicities account for the remaining 21 per cent, including Azerbaijanis (16 per cent), Arabs (2 per cent), Turkmen and Turkic tribes (2 per cent), as well as Armenians, Assyrians and Georgians. Moreover, several groups that struggle for more political influence, economic advancement, cultural freedom, or even independence are active in Iran. The number of Christians is not precisely defined, but the authorities estimated in 2016 that it was about 90,000. Most Iranians outside of Iran live in North America, Europe, the Persian Gulf states, Turkey, Australia, and the Middle East.

Kurdish-Iranian history is filled with periods of conflict and rebellion against the central state. An estimated 150,000 to 180,000 highly educated people are leaving the country each year. United Nations projections are also included through the year 2100. Ethnic and Religious Groups Ever since the fall of the Afghan communist regime the Iranian authorities have pushed for the repatriation of Afghan refugees. Iran also controls about a dozen islands in the Persian Gulf. Persia’s conquest by the Muslim Arabs in the 7th century ce was to leave the most lasting influence, however, as Iranian culture was all but completely subsumed under that of its conquerors. Approximately 98 percent of the population of Iran is Muslim. Restrictions on Religious Freedom Famed for its handsome architecture and verdant gardens, the city fell somewhat into disrepair in the decades following the Iranian Revolution of 1978–79, though efforts were later mounted to preserve historic buildings and expand the city’s network of parks. Muslims are divided into two groups, going back to the early years of Islam. There are, however, some missionary groups in the country. Although they generally enjoy the same civil liberties as Muslims, there have been reports of harassment and religiously-based discrimination against members of the recognized religious minorities. Many Kurds support the idea of a greater Kurdistan and are willing to fight for that cause. Major and Midsize Cities. In recent decades, occasional demonstrations followed by suppression of activists have taken place in some Kurdish areas.