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Largest cities in Iran, 1975 to 2050

Tehran leads Iran with 9.17 million people in 2025, ahead of Mashhad at 5.40 million in the UN city ranking.

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What the data shows

  • In 2025, Tehran ranks #1 with 9.17M, ahead of Mashhad (5.40M) and Karaj (3.60M).
  • By 2050, on the UN's projections, Tehran is projected to rank #1 with 9.50M, ahead of Mashhad (5.67M) and Karaj (4.06M).
  • Tehran holds #1 for the whole period, 1975 to 2025.
  • Biggest climber: Kharameh, from #12 in 1975 to #8 in 2050.
  • Tehran grew 2.1× between 1975 and 2025.

About this chart

Tehran and Mashhad head the 2025 ranking for Iran, at 9.17 million and 5.40 million people. Tehran also appears first in 1975, at 4.27 million, so the top position is unchanged between those two endpoints. Karaj occupies third place in 2025 at 3.60 million. These are populations of urban areas defined consistently by the UN, rather than administrative city limits.

The UN projects Tehran to lead in 2050 at 9.50 million people. The figures after 2025 are projections. The Degree of Urbanization identifies contiguous dense settlements, so these totals can differ from municipal and metropolitan statistics. The historical ranking is useful for comparing positions; changing settlement boundaries mean it should not be treated as a measure of growth within fixed city limits.

The data

Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision (File 21), city population, millions, 1975–2050 (projected after 2025). Retrieved November 5, 2026. Cities as defined by the Degree of Urbanization (contiguous dense areas), so figures differ from city-proper or metro counts. Blank cells indicate that the source supplies no city value for that year, not zero population.

Largest cities in Iran, Population in millions, 1975–2050; projected after 2025, 1975–2050
Date🇮🇷 Tehran🇮🇷 Mashhad🇮🇷 Karaj🇮🇷 Shiraz🇮🇷 Ahwaz🇮🇷 Isfahan🇮🇷 Tabriz🇮🇷 Kermanshah🇮🇷 Sarvestan🇮🇷 Parand🇮🇷 Rasht🇮🇷 Ardabil🇮🇷 Kharameh🇮🇷 Kavar
19754.27M1.32M0.86M0.53M0.43M0.40M0.39M0.25M0.24M0.21M0.19M0.15M0.18M0.16M
19764.43M1.40M0.89M0.58M0.45M0.42M0.41M0.26M0.25M0.21M0.20M0.16M0.19M0.16M
19774.60M1.48M0.93M0.62M0.47M0.43M0.43M0.27M0.26M0.22M0.21M0.17M0.19M0.17M
19784.77M1.55M0.96M0.67M0.48M0.45M0.46M0.28M0.27M0.22M0.21M0.18M0.20M0.17M
19794.94M1.63M0.99M0.71M0.50M0.47M0.48M0.29M0.28M0.23M0.22M0.20M0.21M0.18M
19805.11M1.71M1.02M0.76M0.52M0.48M0.50M0.30M0.29M0.23M0.22M0.21M0.21M0.18M
19815.29M1.83M1.08M0.82M0.55M0.52M0.53M0.32M0.30M0.23M0.24M0.22M0.23M0.19M
19825.48M1.96M1.15M0.87M0.58M0.57M0.56M0.33M0.32M0.24M0.25M0.24M0.24M0.21M
19835.67M2.09M1.21M0.93M0.61M0.61M0.59M0.35M0.33M0.25M0.26M0.26M0.25M0.22M
19845.85M2.22M1.28M0.99M0.64M0.65M0.63M0.36M0.35M0.25M0.27M0.28M0.26M0.23M
19856.04M2.35M1.34M1.05M0.67M0.70M0.66M0.38M0.36M0.26M0.28M0.29M0.27M0.24M
19866.16M2.46M1.41M1.08M0.70M0.74M0.69M0.40M0.38M0.26M0.29M0.30M0.29M0.25M
19876.28M2.58M1.48M1.11M0.73M0.78M0.72M0.41M0.40M0.26M0.30M0.31M0.31M0.26M
19886.40M2.70M1.54M1.13M0.76M0.82M0.75M0.43M0.41M0.26M0.32M0.31M0.34M0.27M
19896.53M2.81M1.61M1.16M0.79M0.86M0.78M0.45M0.43M0.27M0.33M0.32M0.36M0.28M
19906.65M2.93M1.68M1.18M0.82M0.90M0.81M0.46M0.45M0.27M0.34M0.32M0.38M0.29M
19916.68M2.97M1.71M1.18M0.84M0.92M0.83M0.47M0.46M0.26M0.34M0.33M0.39M0.31M
19926.70M3.02M1.73M1.18M0.86M0.95M0.84M0.48M0.47M0.24M0.35M0.33M0.41M0.32M
19936.73M3.06M1.76M1.17M0.88M0.97M0.85M0.49M0.49M0.23M0.35M0.33M0.42M0.34M
19946.75M3.10M1.79M1.17M0.90M0.99M0.87M0.50M0.50M0.22M0.36M0.33M0.44M0.35M
19956.78M3.15M1.81M1.17M0.92M1.01M0.88M0.51M0.51M0.20M0.36M0.33M0.45M0.36M
19966.82M3.21M1.84M1.16M0.94M1.04M0.89M0.53M0.53M0.19M0.37M0.33M0.47M0.38M
19976.87M3.28M1.87M1.15M0.96M1.07M0.90M0.54M0.54M0.17M0.38M0.33M0.49M0.39M
19986.91M3.34M1.90M1.14M0.98M1.09M0.91M0.55M0.56M0.16M0.38M0.33M0.51M0.41M
19996.96M3.41M1.93M1.13M1.01M1.12M0.92M0.57M0.57M0.14M0.39M0.34M0.52M0.42M
20007.00M3.47M1.97M1.12M1.03M1.14M0.93M0.58M0.59M0.13M0.39M0.34M0.54M0.44M
20017.05M3.56M2.02M1.11M1.06M1.18M0.95M0.59M0.61M0.12M0.40M0.34M0.56M0.46M
20027.09M3.65M2.07M1.09M1.10M1.22M0.96M0.60M0.63M0.12M0.41M0.35M0.58M0.48M
20037.14M3.73M2.13M1.07M1.13M1.26M0.98M0.62M0.65M0.11M0.42M0.35M0.60M0.50M
20047.19M3.82M2.18M1.06M1.16M1.29M0.99M0.63M0.67M0.10M0.43M0.36M0.62M0.52M
20057.24M3.91M2.24M1.04M1.20M1.33M1.01M0.64M0.69M0.10M0.44M0.36M0.64M0.53M
20067.33M4.01M2.32M1.03M1.24M1.36M1.03M0.66M0.72M0.45M0.37M0.67M0.56M
20077.43M4.10M2.40M1.03M1.27M1.40M1.06M0.67M0.74M0.46M0.37M0.69M0.58M
20087.52M4.20M2.47M1.02M1.31M1.43M1.09M0.69M0.76M0.47M0.38M0.71M0.60M
20097.62M4.30M2.55M1.02M1.35M1.46M1.11M0.70M0.79M0.48M0.38M0.74M0.62M
20107.71M4.39M2.63M1.01M1.38M1.49M1.14M0.72M0.81M0.48M0.39M0.76M0.64M
20117.79M4.48M2.71M1.00M1.41M1.52M1.14M0.73M0.83M0.49M0.39M0.78M0.66M
20127.88M4.56M2.79M0.99M1.43M1.55M1.15M0.74M0.85M0.50M0.39M0.80M0.68M
20137.96M4.64M2.87M0.98M1.46M1.58M1.16M0.75M0.87M0.51M0.39M0.82M0.70M
20148.04M4.72M2.94M0.97M1.48M1.60M1.16M0.77M0.90M0.52M0.39M0.84M0.72M
20158.12M4.80M3.02M0.96M1.50M1.63M1.17M0.78M0.92M0.53M0.39M0.86M0.74M
20168.27M4.88M3.09M0.94M1.52M1.65M1.19M0.79M0.93M0.53M0.39M0.87M0.75M
20178.43M4.96M3.15M0.92M1.53M1.67M1.21M0.79M0.94M0.54M0.40M0.89M0.77M
20188.58M5.04M3.22M0.90M1.54M1.69M1.22M0.80M0.95M0.54M0.40M0.90M0.78M
20198.73M5.12M3.28M0.88M1.56M1.71M1.24M0.81M0.97M0.55M0.41M0.91M0.80M
20208.89M5.20M3.35M0.87M1.57M1.73M1.26M0.82M0.98M0.55M0.41M0.93M0.81M
20218.95M5.24M3.40M0.88M1.58M1.76M1.27M0.82M0.99M0.56M0.42M0.94M0.82M
20229.00M5.28M3.45M0.89M1.60M1.78M1.28M0.82M1.00M0.56M0.42M0.95M0.83M
20239.06M5.32M3.50M0.90M1.61M1.80M1.29M0.83M1.02M0.57M0.43M0.96M0.84M
20249.12M5.36M3.55M0.90M1.63M1.82M1.30M0.83M1.03M0.57M0.43M0.97M0.85M
20259.17M5.40M3.60M0.91M1.64M1.84M1.31M0.84M1.04M0.58M0.44M0.98M0.86M
20269.21M5.42M3.62M0.92M1.65M1.86M1.31M0.84M1.05M0.58M0.44M0.99M0.86M
20279.24M5.44M3.65M0.92M1.66M1.88M1.32M0.84M1.06M0.59M0.44M1.00M0.87M
20289.27M5.46M3.68M0.92M1.67M1.90M1.32M0.84M1.06M0.59M0.45M1.01M0.87M
20299.30M5.47M3.70M0.93M1.68M1.91M1.32M0.84M1.07M0.60M0.45M1.01M0.88M
20309.33M5.49M3.73M0.93M1.69M1.93M1.33M0.84M1.08M0.60M0.45M1.02M0.89M
20319.35M5.51M3.75M0.93M1.69M1.95M1.33M0.85M1.09M0.60M0.45M1.03M0.89M
20329.37M5.52M3.77M0.94M1.70M1.97M1.33M0.85M1.09M0.61M0.46M1.04M0.90M
20339.39M5.53M3.79M0.94M1.71M1.99M1.34M0.85M1.10M0.61M0.46M1.04M0.90M
20349.40M5.55M3.81M0.94M1.71M2.01M1.34M0.85M1.11M0.61M0.46M1.05M0.91M
20359.42M5.56M3.83M0.94M1.72M2.03M1.34M0.85M1.11M0.61M0.47M1.06M0.91M
20369.43M5.57M3.85M0.95M1.72M2.04M1.35M0.85M1.12M0.62M0.47M1.06M0.92M
20379.44M5.59M3.87M0.95M1.73M2.06M1.35M0.85M1.13M0.62M0.47M1.07M0.92M
20389.45M5.60M3.89M0.95M1.73M2.07M1.35M0.85M1.13M0.62M0.47M1.07M0.92M
20399.47M5.61M3.91M0.95M1.74M2.08M1.35M0.85M1.14M0.62M0.47M1.08M0.93M
20409.48M5.62M3.93M0.96M1.74M2.10M1.36M0.85M1.14M0.62M0.48M1.08M0.93M
20419.49M5.63M3.95M0.96M1.74M2.12M1.36M0.85M1.15M0.63M0.48M1.09M0.94M
20429.49M5.64M3.96M0.97M1.75M2.14M1.36M0.85M1.15M0.63M0.48M1.09M0.94M
20439.50M5.64M3.98M0.97M1.75M2.16M1.36M0.85M1.16M0.63M0.48M1.10M0.94M
20449.51M5.65M4.00M0.98M1.75M2.19M1.36M0.85M1.16M0.64M0.48M1.10M0.95M
20459.52M5.66M4.01M0.98M1.76M2.21M1.37M0.85M1.17M0.64M0.48M1.11M0.95M
20469.51M5.66M4.02M0.98M1.76M2.22M1.37M0.85M1.17M0.64M0.49M1.11M0.95M
20479.51M5.66M4.03M0.98M1.76M2.23M1.37M0.85M1.18M0.64M0.49M1.11M0.96M
20489.51M5.67M4.04M0.98M1.76M2.24M1.37M0.85M1.18M0.64M0.49M1.12M0.96M
20499.50M5.67M4.05M0.98M1.77M2.25M1.37M0.85M1.19M0.65M0.49M1.12M0.96M
20509.50M5.67M4.06M0.98M1.77M2.26M1.37M0.85M1.19M0.65M0.49M1.12M0.96M

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Frequently asked questions

What is the largest city in Iran?

Tehran is the largest city in Iran in the UN 2025 series, with about 9.17 million people. Mashhad follows at 5.40 million. These figures use the UN Degree of Urbanization definition, not municipal boundaries.

Which city is projected to be largest in Iran in 2050?

The UN projects Tehran to rank first in 2050, with about 9.50 million people. This is a projection, not an observed population count.

Was Tehran also the largest city in 1975?

The 1975 ranking was led by Tehran, with 4.27 million people. The table preserves every city that reached the top ten in any year shown, including cities outside the top ten today.

Where does this data come from?

UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision (File 21), city population, millions, 1975–2050 (projected after 2025). Retrieved November 5, 2026. Cities as defined by the Degree of Urbanization (contiguous dense areas), so figures differ from city-proper or metro counts. Blank cells indicate that the source supplies no city value for that year, not zero population. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

Can I turn this chart into a video?

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