Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Iran

Iran: Population of compulsory school age, both sexes was 13.23 million in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
13.23 million
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
18th
of 197 countries
All-time high
13.23 million
in 2025
All-time low
6.14 million
in 2004
Years of data
28
1998–2025

Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Iran, 1998–2025

05.0M10.0M15.0M1998201120251998: 9.2M1999: 8.9M2000: 8.5M2001: 7.9M2002: 7.3M2003: 6.6M2004: 6.1M2005: 10.7M2006: 10.2M2007: 10.0M2008: 9.7M2009: 9.5M2010: 9.3M2011: 9.3M2012: 9.3M2013: 10.5M2014: 10.6M2015: 10.8M2016: 11.0M2017: 11.2M2018: 11.5M2019: 11.7M2020: 12.0M2021: 12.3M2022: 12.6M2023: 12.9M2024: 13.1M2025: 13.2M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2025, population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Iran stood at 13.23 million. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and up 22.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Iran peaked at 13.23 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 6.14 million, in 2004.

That places Iran 18th out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.

Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Iran, year by year

Annual values for Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number) in Iran, 1998 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1998 9.20 million
1999 8.90 million -3.3%
2000 8.48 million -4.7%
2001 7.91 million -6.7%
2002 7.26 million -8.2%
2003 6.58 million -9.4%
2004 6.14 million -6.7%
2005 10.67 million +73.8%
2006 10.25 million -3.9%
2007 9.98 million -2.6%
2008 9.67 million -3.1%
2009 9.45 million -2.2%
2010 9.32 million -1.5%
2011 9.27 million -0.5%
2012 9.30 million +0.4%
2013 10.54 million +13.3%
2014 10.64 million +0.9%
2015 10.78 million +1.4%
2016 10.98 million +1.8%
2017 11.21 million +2.1%
2018 11.45 million +2.2%
2019 11.73 million +2.4%
2020 12.02 million +2.5%
2021 12.32 million +2.5%
2022 12.63 million +2.5%
2023 12.92 million +2.3%
2024 13.13 million +1.6%
2025 13.23 million +0.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 9.05 million 8.90 million 9.20 million 2
2000s 8.64 million 6.14 million 10.67 million 10
2010s 10.52 million 9.27 million 11.73 million 10
2020s 12.71 million 12.02 million 13.23 million 6

Countries ranked near Iran

  1. 15 Vietnam 16.33 million compare
  2. 16 Turkey 15.80 million compare
  3. 17 Bangladesh 15.64 million compare
  4. 19 Tanzania 12.66 million compare
  5. 20 Angola 10.60 million compare
  6. 21 France 10.47 million compare

See the full ranking of 418 places →

More education data for Iran

All data for Iran →

Frequently asked questions

What is population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Iran?
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Iran was 13.23 million in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest population of compulsory school age, both sexes recorded in Iran?
The highest recorded value was 13.23 million in 2025.
What is the lowest population of compulsory school age, both sexes recorded in Iran?
The lowest recorded value was 6.14 million in 2004.
How does Iran rank for population of compulsory school age, both sexes?
Iran ranks 18th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
Is population of compulsory school age, both sexes rising or falling in Iran?
Over the last ten years it is up 22.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iran data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Iran. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/population-of-compulsory-school-age-both-sexes-number-2/iran-islamic-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
418 places, 11,049 data points, 1974–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release