The most populated cities of Iran in 2010.
Iranian population density map (based on data from the 1996 census).

Iran has one of the highest urban population growth rates in the world. From 1950 to 2002, the urban proportion of the population increased from 27% to 60%.[1] The United Nations predicts that by 2030 80% of the population will live in urban areas.[2] Most internal migrants have settled near the cities of Tehran, Isfahan, Karaj, Ahvaz, Mashhad and Qom. Tehran, with a population of 8.7 million (2016 census), is the largest city in Iran and is the nation's capital. Tehran is home to around 11% of Iran's population. It is the hub of the country's communication and transport networks.[3]

Mashhad, with a population of 4.2 million (as of 2019), is the second-largest Iranian city and the centre of the province of Razavi Khorasan. Mashhad is one of the holiest Shi'a cities in the world as it is the site of the Imam Reza shrine. It is the centre of tourism in Iran and between 15 and 20 million pilgrims go to Imam Reza's shrine every year.[4][5]

The third most populous city of Iran is Isfahan with a population 2.5 million (as of 2019). This city is one of the most industrial cities of Iran with large industries and hosts several UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city has a wide variety of historic monuments and is known for its paintings, history and architecture.

The fourth most populous Iranian city is Karaj, with a population of 2.1 million (as of 2019). Karaj is the capital of Alborz Province and is situated 35km west of Tehran, at the foot of Alborz mountains; however, the city is increasingly becoming an extension of metropolitan Tehran.

The fifth most populous Iranian city is Shiraz (population 1.57 million), which is located in the southwest of Iran with a moderate climate and has been a regional trade center for over a thousand years. Shiraz is one of the oldest cities of ancient Persia, known as the city of poets, literature and flowers. It is also considered by many Iranians to be the city of gardens and also a major center for Iran's electronic industries.

The other major cities are Tabriz (population 1.56 million), Qom (population 1.2 million) and Ahvaz (population 1.18 million).[6]

Cities over 100,000 population

The following sorted table, lists the most populous cities in Iran with a population of more than 100,000 according to 2016 Census results announced by Statistical Center of Iran.[7] [8]A city is displayed in bold if it is the province capital.

Rank City Province Date of Official
Foundation of
Municipality 		2016 Census 2011 Census Change
1 Tehran Tehran 1907 8,693,706 8,154,051 +6.62%
2 Mashhad Razavi Khorasan 1918 3,001,184 2,749,374 +9.16%
3 Isfahan Isfahan 1907 1,961,260 1,756,126 +11.68%
4 Karaj Alborz 1951 1,592,492 1,614,626 −1.37%
5 Shiraz Fars 1907 1,565,572 1,460,665 +7.18%
6 Tabriz East Azerbaijan 1907 1,558,693 1,494,988 +4.26%
7 Qom Qom 1926 1,201,158 1,074,036 +11.84%
8 Ahvaz Khuzestan 1925 1,184,788 1,112,021 +6.54%
9 Kermanshah Kermanshah 1912 946,651 851,405 +11.19%
10 Urmia West Azerbaijan 1928 736,224 667,499 +10.30%
11 Rasht Gilan 1907 679,995 639,951 +6.26%
12 Zahedan Sistan and Baluchestan 1938 587,730 560,725 +4.82%
13 Hamadan Hamadan 1911 554,406 525,794 +5.44%
14 Kerman Kerman 1907 537,718 534,441 +0.61%
15 Yazd Yazd 1926 529,673 486,152 +8.95%
16 Ardabil Ardabil 1925 529,374 482,632 +9.68%
17 Bandar Abbas Hormozgan 1925 526,648 435,751 +20.86%
18 Arak Markazi 1927 520,944 526,182 −1.00%
19 Eslamshahr Tehran 1978 448,129 389,102 +15.17%
20 Zanjan Zanjan 1923 430,871 386,851 +11.38%
21 Sanandaj Kurdistan 1928 412,767 373,987 +10.37%
22 Qazvin Qazvin 1924 402,748 381,598 +5.54%
23 Khorramabad Lorestan 1931 373,416 348,216 +7.24%
24 Gorgan Golestan 1925 350,676 329,536 +6.42%
25 Sari Mazandaran 1927 347,402 296,417 +17.20%
26 Shahriar Tehran 1952 309,607 249,473 +24.10%
27 Qods Tehran 1989 309,605 283,517 +9.20%
28 Kashan Isfahan 1930 304,487 275,325 +10.59%
29 Malard Tehran 1995 281,027 290,817 −3.37%
30 Dezful Khuzestan 1920 264,709 248,380 +6.57%
31 Nishapur Razavi Khorasan 1931 264,375 239,185 +10.53%
32 Babol Mazandaran 1925 250,217 219,467 +14.01%
33 Khomeyni Shahr Isfahan 1932 247,128 244,696 +0.99%
34 Sabzevar Razavi Khorasan 1930 243,700 231,557 +5.24%
35 Golestan Tehran 1996 239,556 259,480 −7.68%
36 Amol Mazandaran 1933 237,528 219,915 +8.01%
37 Pakdasht Tehran 1991 236,319 206,490 +14.45%
38 Najafabad Isfahan 1931 235,281 221,814 +6.07%
39 Borujerd Lorestan 1935 234,997 240,654 −2.35%
40 Abadan Khuzestan 1924 231,476 212,744 +8.80%
41 Qarchak Tehran 1976 231,075 191,588 +20.61%
42 Bojnord North Khorasan 1931 228,931 199,791 +14.59%
43 Varamin Tehran 1941 225,628 218,991 +3.03%
44 Bushehr Bushehr 1922 223,504 195,222 +14.49%
45 Saveh Markazi 1931 220,762 200,481 +10.12%
46 Qaem Shahr Mazandaran 1935 204,953 196,050 +4.54%
47 Birjand South Khorasan 1928 203,636 178,020 +14.39%
48 Nasimshahr Tehran 1995 200,393 157,474 +27.25%
49 Sirjan Kerman 1936 199,704 185,623 +7.59%
50 Khoy West Azerbaijan 1923 198,845 200,958 −1.05%
51 Ilam Ilam 1936 194,030 172,213 +12.67%
52 Bukan West Azerbaijan 1948 193,501 170,600 +13.42%
53 Shahr-e Kord Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari 1931 190,441 159,775 +19.19%
54 Semnan Semnan 1925 185,129 153,680 +20.46%
55 Fardis Alborz 2013 181,174 181,174 0.00%
56 Maragheh East Azerbaijan 1921 175,255 162,275 +8.00%
57 Shahin Shahr Isfahan 1976 173,329 143,308 +20.95%
58 Malayer Hamadan 1934 170,237 159,848 +6.50%
59 Mahabad West Azerbaijan 1931 168,393 147,268 +14.34%
60 Saqqez Kurdistan 1935 165,258 139,738 +18.26%
61 Bandar-e Mahshahr Khuzestan 1954 162,797 153,778 +5.86%
62 Rafsanjan Kerman 1935 161,909 151,420 +6.93%
63 Gonbad-e Kavus Golestan 1934 151,910 144,546 +5.09%
64 Shahrud Semnan 1925 150,129 140,474 +6.87%
65 Marvdasht Fars 1950 148,858 138,649 +7.36%
66 Kamal Shahr Alborz 1996 141,669 109,943 +28.86%
67 Jahrom Fars 1925 141,634 114,108 +24.12%
68 Torbat-e Heydarieh Razavi Khorasan 1928 140,019 131,150 +6.76%
69 Marivan Kurdistan 1957 136,654 110,464 +23.71%
70 Andimeshk Khuzestan 1956 135,116 126,811 +6.55%
71 Shahreza Isfahan 1929 134,952 123,767 +9.04%
72 Zabol Sistan and Baluchestan 1928 134,950 137,722 −2.01%
73 Yasuj Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad 1970 134,532 108,505 +23.99%
74 Miandoab West Azerbaijan 1935 134,425 123,081 +9.22%
75 Khorramshahr Khuzestan 1925 133,097 129,418 +2.84%
76 Marand East Azerbaijan 1929 130,825 124,323 +5.23%
77 Jiroft Kerman 1946 130,429 111,034 +17.47%
78 Bam Kerman 1937 127,396 107,131 +18.92%
79 Behbahan Khuzestan 1937 122,604 107,412 +14.14%
80 Dorud Lorestan 1949 121,638 99,499 +22.25%
81 Nazarabad Alborz 2002 119,512 107,806 +10.86%
82 Mohammadshahr Alborz 1996 119,418 100,519 +18.80%
83 Izeh Khuzestan 1958 119,399 117,093 +1.97%
84 Bandar-e Anzali Gilan 1922 118,564 116,664 +1.63%
85 Andisheh Tehran 2003 116,062 96,807 +19.89%
86 Iranshahr Sistan and Baluchestan 1940 113,750 97,012 +17.25%
87 Fasa Fars 1926 110,825 104,809 +5.74%
88 Borazjan Bushehr 1928 110,567 95,449 +15.84%
89 Baneh Kurdistan 1948 110,218 85,190 +29.38%
90 Chabahar Sistan and Baluchestan 1950 106,739 85,633 +24.65%
91 Robat Karim Tehran 1983 105,393 78,097 +34.95%
92 Kashmar Razavi Khorasan 1929 102,282 90,200 +13.39%
93 Shushtar Khuzestan 1927 101,878 106,815 −4.62%
94 Quchan Razavi Khorasan 1937 101,604 103,760 −2.08%
95 Lahijan Gilan 1928 101,073 94,051 +7.47%
96 Ahar East Azerbaijan 1944 100,641 92,608 +8.67%
97 Masjed Soleyman Khuzestan 1959 100,497 103,369 −2.78%
98 Torbat-e Jam Razavi Khorasan 1933 100,449 94,758 +6.01%

Largest cities in the provinces

This is a list of the largest cities of the 31 provinces, based on the city's population as of the 2016 census.[9]

Province Largest city 2nd Largest 3rd Largest 4th largest
Tehran Tehran Eslamshahr Shahriar Shahr-e Qods
Razavi Khorasan Mashhad Nishapur Sabzevar Torbat-e Heydarieh
East Azerbaijan Tabriz Maragheh Marand Ahar
Alborz Karaj Fardis Kamalshahr Nazarabad
Isfahan Isfahan Kashan Khomeyni Shahr Najafabad
Fars Shiraz Marvdasht Jahrom Fasa
Khuzestan Ahvaz Dezful Abadan Mahshahr
Mazandaran Sari Babol Amol Qa'em Shahr
West Azerbaijan Urmia Khoy Bukan Mahabad
Kerman Kerman Sirjan Rafsanjan Jiroft
Gilan Rasht Bandar-e Anzali Lahijan Langrud
Sistan and Baluchistan Zahedan Zabol Iran Shahr Chabahar
Kermanshah Kermanshah Eslamabad-e Gharb Javanrud Kangavar
Lorestan Khorramabad Borujerd Dorud Aligudarz
Hamadan Hamadan Malayer Nahavand Asadabad
Golestan Gorgan Gonbad-e Kavus Bandar Torkaman Ali Abad
Kurdistan Sanandaj Saghez Marivan Baneh
Hormozgan Bandar Abbas Minab Qeshm Kish
Markazi Arak Saveh Khomein Mahallat
Ardabil Ardabil Parsabad Meshkinshahr Khalkhal
Qazvin Qazvin Alvand Mohammadiyeh Takestan
Qom Qom Qanavat Jafariyeh Kahak
Yazd Yazd Meybod Ardakan Bafq
Zanjan Zanjan Abhar Khorramdareh Qidar
Bushehr Bushehr Borazjan Bandar Ganaveh Bandar Kangan
Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari Shahr-e Kord Borujen Lordegan Farrokhshahr
North Khorasan Bojnurd Shirvan Esfarayen Ashkhaneh
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Yasuj Dogonbadan Dehdasht Likak
South Khorasan Birjand Ghayen Tabas Ferdows
Semnan Semnan Shahrud Damghan Garmsar
Ilam Ilam Dehloran Eyvan Abdanan

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ^ Payvand. "Iran: Focus on reverse migration". Retrieved 2006-04-17.
  2. ^ "Islamic Azad University", retrieved 28 Jan 2008 Archived November 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Assari, Ali; T.M. Mahesh (2011). "Urbanization Process in Iranian Cities". Asian Journal of Development Matters. 5 (1): 151–154. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  4. ^ Religious Tourism Potentials Rich retrieved 28 Feb 2008 Archived February 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Mashhad, Iran Archived 2010-11-27 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 28 Feb 2008
  6. ^ "Population of Cities in Iran 2023". worldpopulationreview.com. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
  7. ^ "Statistical Center of Iran > Population and Housing Censuses".
  8. ^ "Population of Cities in Iran (Islamic Republic of) 2021 - StatisticsTimes.com". statisticstimes.com. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
  9. ^ "Iran: Provinces, Major Cities & Towns - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 2023-07-03.

Bibliography

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