Iran vs Turkey: School-age population (upper secondary level)
Iran
3.94 million
in 2025
Turkey
5.16 million
in 2025
Iran rank
3rd
Turkey rank
2nd
School-age population (upper secondary level) over time
- Iran
- Turkey
How they compare
Turkey currently reports 5.16 million against 3.94 million in Iran, a difference of 1.22 million.
That makes Turkey's figure about 1.3 times Iran's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Turkey ahead.
Iran ranks 3rd and Turkey ranks 2nd of 72 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 3 and Turkey in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | Turkey | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.40 million | 2.69 million | 288,990 | Turkey |
| 1980s | 3.90 million | 3.34 million | 559,723 | Iran |
| 1990s | 5.72 million | 3.87 million | 1.85 million | Iran |
| 2000s | 7.21 million | 3.88 million | 3.34 million | Iran |
| 2010s | 4.41 million | 5.15 million | 737,539 | Turkey |
| 2020s | 3.69 million | 5.04 million | 1.35 million | Turkey |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher school-age population, Iran or Turkey?
- Turkey, at 5.16 million against 3.94 million in Iran as of 2025.
- What is the difference in school-age population between Iran and Turkey?
- 1.22 million, with Turkey ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Turkey?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Iran and Turkey rank globally for school-age population?
- Iran ranks 3rd and Turkey ranks 2nd of 72 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNICEF, published as School-age population (upper secondary level). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.