List of Iranian cities by population
![](../I/m/The_most_populated_cities_of_iran.svg.png)
![](../I/m/Iran_population_density_2004.jpg)
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
Gallery
- 1 - Tehran, Tehran Province
- 2 - Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi Province
- 3 - Isfahan, Isfahan Province
- 4 - Karaj, Alborz Province
- 5 - Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province
- 6 - Shiraz, Fars Province
- 7 - Ahvaz, Khūzestān Province
- 8 - Qom, Qom Province
- 9 - Kermanshah, Kermanshah Province
- 10 - Urmia, West Azerbaijan Province
- 11 - Rasht, Gilan Province
- 12 - Zahedan, Sistan and Baluchestan Province
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.
See also
References
- ↑ Payvand. "Iran: Focus on reverse migration". Retrieved 2006-04-17.
- ↑ "Islamic Azad University", retrieved 28 Jan 2008 Archived November 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Assari, Ali; T.M. Mahesh (2011). "Urbanization Process in Iranian Cities". Asian Journal of Development Matters. 5 (1): 151–154. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
- ↑ Religious Tourism Potentials Rich retrieved 28 Feb 2008 Archived February 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Mashhad, Iran retrieved 28 Feb 2008
- ↑ Statistical Center of Iran 2011 Census website
- ↑ Mayors of Tehran since 1885