List of Iranian cities by population

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, Ahvaz, and Qom. Tehran, with a population of 8.2 million (2012 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 2.7 million, 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 1.8 million (2011). This city is one of the most industrial cities of Iran with large industries. It has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The city also 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 1.6 million. Karaj is the capital of Alborz province and is situated 20 km west of Tehran, at the foot of Alborz mountains; however, the city is increasingly becoming an extension of metropolitan Tehran.

The other major cities are Tabriz (population 1.5 million), Shiraz (population 1.46 million), Ahvaz (population 1.11 million), and Qom (population 1.07 million).

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 2011 Census results announced by Statistical Center of Iran:[6]

Rank City Province Date of Official
Foundation of
Municipality		 2011 2006 1996 1986 1976 1966 1956
1 Tehran Tehran 1907[7] 8,154,051 7,705,036 6,758,845 6,042,584 4,530,223 2,719,730 1,512,082
2 Mashhad Razavi Khorasan 1917 2,749,374 2,104,697 1,898,060 1,308,482 1,017,976 713,413 439,996
3 Isfahan Isfahan 1928 1,756,126 1,250,800 1,057,405 972,541 716,770 446,416 221,984
4 Karaj Alborz 1989 1,614,626
5 Tabriz East Azerbaijan 1907 1,484,988 1,427,311 1,153,025 1,848,289 1,425,813 1,069,865 770,659
6 Shiraz Fars 1925 1,460,665 1,269,843 1,104,980 779,826 534,399 306,375 220,098
7 Ahvaz Khuzestan 1911 1,112,021 977,450 740,968 411,510 97,926 44,243 14,526
8 Qom Qom 1926 1,074,036 1,151,918 977,677 743,139 347,219 234,292 109,499
9 Kermanshah Kermanshah 1930 851,405 692,686 560,514 290,600 187,930 125,439
10 Orumieh West Azerbaijan 1928 667,499 435,200 300,746 164,419 110,749 67,605
11 Rasht Gilan 1908 639,951 417,748 290,897 188,957 143,557 109,491
12 Zahedan Sistan and Baluchestan 1938 560,725 419,518 281,923 93,740 39,732 17,495
13 Kerman Kerman 1921 534,441 384,991 257,284 140,761 85,404 62,157
14 Arak Markazi 1927 526,182 380,755 265,349 116,832 61,925 58,998
15 Hamedan Hamadan 1911 525,794 401,281 272,499 165,875 124,167 99,909
16 Yazd Yazd 1926 432,194 326,776 230,483 135,925 93,241 63,502
17 Ardabil Ardabil 1925 418,262 340,386 281,973 147,865 83,596 65,742
18 Bandar Abbas Hormozgan 1925 367,508
19 Eslamshahr Tehran 1978 357,171
20 Qazvin Qazvīn 1924 349,821
21 Zanjan Zanjan 1923 341,801
22 Khorramabad Lorestan 1931 328,544
23 Sanandaj Kurdistan 1928 311,446
24 Malard Tehran 1995 290,817 228,673
25 Shahr-e Qods Tehran 1989 283,517 229,354
26 Kashan Isfahan 1930 275,325 248,789
27 Gorgan Golestan 1925 269,226
28 Golestan Tehran 1996 259,480 231,882
29 Sari Mazandaran 1927 259,084
30 Shahriar Tehran 1952 249,473 189,120
31 Dezful Khuzestan 1920 248,380 228,507
32 Khomeinishahr Isfahan 1932 244,696 218,737
33 Borujerd Lorestan 1935 240,654 227,547
34 Nishapur Razavi Khorasan 1931 239,185 205,972
35 Sabzevar Razavi Khorasan 1936 231,557 208,172
36 Najafabad Isfahan 1931 221,814 206,114
37 Amol Mazandaran 1933 219,915 197,470
38 Babol Mazandaran 1956 219,467 243,636
39 Varamin Tehran 1941 218,991 208,569
40 Abadan Khuzestan 1924 212,744 217,988
41 Pakdasht Tehran 1991 206,490 126,281
42 Khoy West Azerbaijan 1923 200,958 178,708
43 Saveh Markazi 1931 200,481 179,009
44 Bojnourd North Khorasan 1931 199,791 172,772
45 Qa'em Shahr Mazandaran 1935 196,050 174,246
46 Bushehr Bushehr 1922 195,222 161,674
47 Gharchak Tehran 1976 191,588 173,832
48 Sirjan Kerman 1936 185,623 167,014
49 Birjand South Khorasan 1928 178,020 157,848
50 Ilam Īlām 1936 172,213 155,289
51 Bukan West Azerbaijan 1948 170,600 149,340
52 Maragheh East Azerbaijan 1921 162,275 146,405
53 Malayer Hamadan 1934 159,848 153,748
54 Shahrekord Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari 1931 159,775 126,746
55 Nasimshahr Tehran 1995 157,474 135,824
56 Mahshahr Khuzestan 1954 153,778 109,687
57 Semnan Semnān 1925 153,680 124,999
58 Rafsanjan Kerman 1935 151,420 136,388
59 Mahabad West Azerbaijan 1931 147,268 133,324
60 Gonbad-e Qabus Golestan 1934 144,546 127,167
61 Shahinshahr Isfahan 1976 143,308 126,070
62 Shahrood Semnān 1925 140,474 126,916
63 Saqqez Kurdistan 1935 139,738 131,349
64 Marvdasht Fars 1940 138,649 123,858
65 Zabol Sistan and Baluchestan 1928 137,722 130,642
66 Torbat-e Heydarieh Razavi Khorasan 1928 131,150 119,360
67 Khorramshahr Khuzestan 1925 129,418 123,866
68 Andimeshk Khuzestan 1956 126,811 119,422
69 Marand East Azerbaijan 1929 124,323 114,165
70 Shahreza Isfahan 1929 123,767 108,299
71 Miandoab West Azerbaijan 1935 123,081 112,933
72 Izeh Khuzestan 1958 117,093 103,695
73 Bandar-e Anzali Gilan 1922 116,664 116,664
74 Jahrom Fars 1925 114,108 103,023
75 Jiroft Kerman 1946 111,034
76 Marivan Kurdistan 110,464
77 Kamal Shahr Alborz 109,943
78 Yasuj Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad 1970 108,505
79 Nazarabad Alborz 2002 107,806
80 Behbahan Khuzestan 1937 107,412
81 Bam Kerman 1937 107,131
82 Shush Khuzestan 1989 106,815
83 Fasa Fars 104,809
84 Quchan Razavi Khorasan 1937 103,760
85 Masjed Soleyman Khuzestan 1959 103,369 106,121
86 Mohammadshahr Alborz 100,519
Dorud Lorestan 1949 100,528

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 2011 census.

Province Largest city 2nd Largest 3rd Largest 4th largest
Tehran Tehran Eslamshahr Malard Shahr-e Qods
Razavi Khorasan Mashhad Nishapur Sabzevar Torbat-e Heydarieh
East Azerbaijan Tabriz Maragheh Marand Mianeh
Alborz Karaj Kamal ShahrNazarabadMohammadshahr
Isfahan Isfahan Kashan Khomeyni Shahr Najafabad
Fars Shiraz Marvdasht Jahrom Fasa
Khuzestan Ahvaz Dezful Abadan Mahshahr
Mazandaran Sari Amol Babol Qa'em Shahr
West Azerbaijan Urmia Khoy BukanMahabad
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 Harsin Kangavar
Lorestan Khorramabad Borujerd Dorood Koohdasht
Hamadan Hamadan Malayer Nahavand Asadabad
Golestan Gorgan Gonbad-e Qabus Ali Abad Bandar Torkaman
Kurdistan Sanandaj Saghez Marivan Baneh
Hormozgan Bandar Abbas Minab Dehbarez Bandar Lengeh
Markazi Arak Saveh Khomein Mahallat
Ardabil Ardabil Parsabad Meshkinshahr Khalkhal
Qazvin Qazvin Takestan Alvand Eqbaliyeh
Qom Qom Jamkaran Qanavat Jafariyeh
Yazd Yazd Meybod Ardakan Bafq
Zanjan Zanjan Abhar Khorramdareh Qidar
Bushehr Bushehr Borazjan Bandar Ganaveh Khormuj
Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari Shahr-e Kord Borujen Farrokhshahr Farsan
North Khorasan Bojnurd Shirvan Esfarayen Garmeh Jajarm
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Yasuj Dogonbadan Dehdasht Likak
South Khorasan Birjand Ghayen Ferdows Nehbandan
Semnān Semnan Shahrood Damghan Garmsar
Ilam Ilam Eyvan Dehloran Abdanan

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 retrieved 28 Feb 2008
  6. ↑ Statistical Center of Iran 2011 Census website
  7. ↑ Mayors of Tehran since 1885
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