School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes (number) in Iran
Iran: School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes (number) was 4.46 million number in 2020. ▲ Rising
School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes in Iran, 1970–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
Iran recorded 4.46 million number for school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 36.2% on the previous year and down 19.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes in Iran peaked at 7.42 million number in 2003 and was at its lowest, 1.87 million number, in 1970.
Iran ranks 15th of 205 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes (number) in Iran, year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.87 million number | — |
| 1971 | 1.95 million number | +3.9% |
| 1972 | 2.04 million number | +5.1% |
| 1973 | 2.09 million number | +2.3% |
| 1974 | 2.14 million number | +2.4% |
| 1975 | 2.20 million number | +2.7% |
| 1976 | 2.26 million number | +2.8% |
| 1977 | 2.32 million number | +2.9% |
| 1978 | 3.14 million number | +35.2% |
| 1979 | 3.23 million number | +2.8% |
| 1980 | 3.32 million number | +2.7% |
| 1981 | 3.41 million number | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 3.50 million number | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 3.62 million number | +3.3% |
| 1984 | 3.75 million number | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 3.88 million number | +3.6% |
| 1986 | 4.02 million number | +3.4% |
| 1987 | 4.11 million number | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 4.24 million number | +3.1% |
| 1989 | 4.41 million number | +4.0% |
| 1990 | 4.63 million number | +5.0% |
| 1991 | 4.89 million number | +5.7% |
| 1992 | 5.14 million number | +5.1% |
| 1993 | 5.40 million number | +5.1% |
| 1994 | 5.67 million number | +4.9% |
| 1995 | 5.95 million number | +4.9% |
| 1996 | 6.24 million number | +4.9% |
| 1997 | 6.53 million number | +4.8% |
| 1998 | 6.80 million number | +4.1% |
| 1999 | 7.03 million number | +3.4% |
| 2000 | 7.22 million number | +2.6% |
| 2001 | 7.35 million number | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 7.41 million number | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 7.42 million number | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 7.34 million number | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 7.16 million number | -2.4% |
| 2006 | 6.89 million number | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 6.56 million number | -4.8% |
| 2008 | 6.20 million number | -5.4% |
| 2009 | 5.86 million number | -5.5% |
| 2010 | 5.55 million number | -5.3% |
| 2011 | 5.28 million number | -4.9% |
| 2012 | 5.02 million number | -5.0% |
| 2013 | 4.79 million number | -4.6% |
| 2014 | 4.60 million number | -4.0% |
| 2015 | 4.46 million number | -3.0% |
| 2016 | 3.29 million number | -26.2% |
| 2017 | 3.26 million number | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 3.26 million number | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 3.27 million number | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 4.46 million number | +36.2% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 4.46 million number is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 239,355 number, 18.6× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Iran's 4.46 million number is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 414,348 number, 10.8× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes (number) in Iran changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +36.2% | 3.27 million number | 4.46 million number |
| 1978 | +35.2% | 2.32 million number | 3.14 million number |
| 2016 | -26.2% | 4.46 million number | 3.29 million number |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.32 million number | 1.87 million number | 3.23 million number | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.82 million number | 3.32 million number | 4.41 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.83 million number | 4.63 million number | 7.03 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.94 million number | 5.86 million number | 7.42 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.28 million number | 3.26 million number | 5.55 million number | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.46 million number | 4.46 million number | 4.46 million number | 1 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More education data for Iran
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 98.5 (2020)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 99.9 (2023)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 406,399 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 108,066 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 519,698 (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 505,053 (2020)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.62 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 9.09 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.31 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes in Iran?
- School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes in Iran was 4.46 million number in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 7.42 million number in 2003.
- What is the lowest school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.87 million number in 1970.
- How does Iran rank for school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes?
- Iran ranks 15th out of 205 countries with data for 2020.
- Is school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.7%. 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 School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to upper secondary education as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.