Profile

Islamic Republic of Iran

Iran at a Glance

Location: Middle East, bordering the Gulf of

Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea,

between Iraq and Pakistan

Geographic Coordinates: 32 00 N, 53 00 E

Map References: Middle East

Area: total: 1,648,195 sq km ; land: 1,531,595 sq

km ; water: 116,600 sq km

Area - Comparative: almost two and a half

times the size of Teas; slightly smaller than

Alaska

Terrain: rugged, mountainous rim; high, central

basin with deserts, mountains; small,

discontinuous plains along both coasts

Capital: Tehran

Official language: Persian

Population: 82,021,564 (July 2017 est.)

Government: Theocratic Republic

National or Regional Currency: Rial

Area:

Area: total: 1,648,195 sq km

land: 1,531,595 sq km

water: 116,600 sq km

Elevation Extremes(M): lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m ; highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m

Land Boundaries(Km): total: 5,894 km ; border countries: Afghanistan 921 km, Armenia 44

km, Azerbaijan 689 km, Iraq 1,599 km, Pakistan 959 km, Turkey 534 km, Turkmenistan 1,148

km

Coastline: 2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)

Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm ; contiguous zone: 24 nm ; exclusive economic zone:

bilateral agreements or median lines in the Persian Gulf ; continental shelf: natural prolongation

Geography - Note: strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital

maritime pathways for crude oil transport1

Government

Country name: Islamic Republic of Iran

Government

type:

Theocratic republic

Capital: Tehran

Administrative

divisions:

31 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Alborz, Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e

Gharbi (West Azerbaijan), Azarbayjan-e Sharqi (East Azerbaijan),

Bushehr, Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Golestan,

Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Kermanshah, Khorasan-e Jonubi

(South Khorasan), Khorasan-e Razavi (Razavi Khorasan), Khorasan-e

Shomali (North Khorasan), Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh va Bowyer Ahmad,

Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan

va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan

National

holiday:

Republic Day, 1 April (1979)

Constitution:

history: previous 1906; latest adopted 24 October 1979, effective 3

December 1979

amendments: proposed by the supreme leader – after consultation with the

Exigency Council – and submitted as an edict to the “Council for Revision

of the Constitution,” a body consisting of various executive, legislative,

judicial, and academic leaders and members; passage requires absolute

majority vote in a referendum and approval of the supreme leader; articles

including Iran’s political system, its religious basis, and its form of

government cannot be amended; amended 1989 (2016)

Legal system: religious legal system based on secular and Islamic law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive

branch:

chief of state: Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June

1989)

1 http://www.economywatch.com/economic-statistics/iran/Geography/

head of government: President Hasan Fereidun RUHANI (since 3 August

2013); First Vice President Eshaq JAHANGIRI (since 5 August 2013)

cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative

approval

elections/appointments: supreme leader appointed for life by Assembly of

Experts; president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2

rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term and an

additional nonconsecutive term); election last held on 19 May 2017 (next to

be held in 2021)

election results: Hasan Fereidun RUHANI reelected president.

Legislative

branch:

description: unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or Majles-e Shura-

ye Eslami or Majles (290 seats; 285 members directly elected in single- and

multi-seat constituencies by 2-round vote, and 1 seat each for Zoroastrians,

Jews, Assyrian and Chaldean Christians, Armenians in the north of the

country and Armenians in the South; members serve 4-year terms); note -

all candidates to the Majles must be approved by the Guardians Council, a

12-member group of which 6 are appointed by the supreme leader and 6 are

jurists nominated by the judiciary and elected by the Majles

elections: first round held on 26 February 2016 and second round for 68

remaining seats held on 29 April 2016; (next full Majles election to be held

in 2020)

election results: percent of vote by coalition - List of Hope 37.2%,

Principlists Grand Coalition 25.9%, People's Voice Coalition 4.5%, joint

Hope/People’s Voice 4.1%, joint People’s Voice/Principlist 0.3%, religious

minorities 1.7%, independent 26.4%; seats by coalition - List of Hope 108,

Principlists Grand Coalition 75, People's Voice Coalition 13, joint

Hope/People’s Voice 12, joint People’s Voice/Principlist 1, religious

minorities 5, independent 76

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the president and NA judges)

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president appointed by

the head of the High Judicial Council (HJC), a 5-member body to include

the Supreme Court chief justice, the prosecutor general, and 3 clergy, in

consultation with judges of the Supreme Court; president appointed for a 5-

year term; other judges appointed by the HJC; judge tenure NA

subordinate courts: Penal Courts I and II; Islamic Revolutionary Courts;

Courts of Peace; Special Clerical Court (functions outside the judicial

system and handles cases involving clerics); military courts2

2 https://www.indexmundi.com/iran/#Government

Economy - overview

Iran's economy is marked by statist policies, inefficiencies, and reliance on oil and gas exports, but

Iran also possesses significant agricultural, industrial, and service sectors. The Iranian government

directly owns and operates hundreds of state-owned enterprises and indirectly controls many

companies affiliated with the country's security forces. Distortions - including inflation, price

controls, subsidies, and a banking system holding billions of dollars of non-performing loans -

weigh down the economy, undermining the potential for private-sector-led growth.

Private sector activity includes small-scale workshops, farming, some manufacturing, and

services, in addition to medium-scale construction, cement production, mining, and metalworking.

Significant informal market activity flourishes and corruption is widespread.

Fiscal and monetary constraints, following the expansion of international sanctions in 2012 on

Iran's Central Bank and oil exports, significantly reduced Iran's oil revenue, forced government

spending cuts, and sparked a sharp currency depreciation. Iran’s economy contracted for the first

time in two decades during the period 2012 to 2015, but strong growth resumed in 2016. Iran's

stock market plunged between 2013 and 2015. Iran continues to suffer from high unemployment

and underemployment. Lack of job opportunities has prompted many educated Iranian youth to

seek employment overseas, resulting in a significant "brain drain."

In June 2013, the election of President Hasan RUHANI generated widespread public expectations

of economic improvement and greater international engagement. RUHANI has achieved some

success, including reining in inflation and, in July of 2015, securing the promise of sanctions relief

for Iran by signing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the P5+1. The JCPOA,

which severely limits Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for unfreezing Iranian assets and

reopening Iran to international trade, should bolster foreign direct investment, increase trade, and

stimulate growth.3

International Human Development Trend

Human Development Index

Year value

2010 0.755

2012 0.781

2014 0.788

2015 0.789

2016 0.796

2017 0.798 Source: http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/2018_human_development_statistical_update.pdf

3 https://www.indexmundi.com/iran/economy_overview.html

Human Development Indicators

Health

Indicator value

Expenditure on health, public (% of GDP)(%)2015 7.6

Under-five morality (per 1,000 live birth) 2016 15.1

Life expectancy at birth 2017 76.2 Source: http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/2018_human_development_statistical_update.pdf

Education

Indicator Value

Government expenditure on education (% of

GDP) (%) 2012-2017 3.4

Primary school dropout rates (% of primary

school cohort) 2007-2016 2.5

Expected Years of Schooling (of children) 2017 14.9

Adult literacy rate, both sexes (% aged 15 and

above) 84.7

Mean years of schooling (of adults) (years) 9.8 Source: http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/2018_human_development_statistical_update.pdf

GDP Last Previous Range Unit Reference Frequency

GDP 440 419 6.2:599 USD

Billion

Dec/17 Yearly

GDP Annual Growth

Rate 1.8 2.7 -12.54:23.01 % Jan/18 Quarterly

GDP PER CAPITA 46947 6734 2981:10266 USD Dec/17 Yearly GDP PER CAPITA

PPP 19083 18498 11393:19083 USD Dec/17 Yearly

Labor Last Previous Range Unit Reference Frequency POPULATION 82.1 80.9 21.96:82.1 Million Dec/18 Yearly UNEMPLOYMENT

RATE 11.7 12.2 9.5:14.7 % Dec/18 Quarterly

Prices Last Previous Range Unit Reference Frequency INFLATION RATE 47.5 42.3 -3.27:59.02 % Mar/19 Monthly

Money Last Previous Range Unit Reference Frequency INTEREST RATE 18 18 10:22 % Feb/19 Daily Trade Last Previous Range Unit Reference Frequency BALANCE OF

TRADE 12983 6227 -6529:20935 USD

Million

Jan/18 Quarterly

CURRENT

ACCOUNT 11061 4902 -9448:18850 USD

Million

Jan/18 Quarterly

CURRENT

ACCOUNT TO GDP 1.3 4.26 -14.77:10.45 % Dec/18 Yearly

EXPORTS 29336 29064 3112:38751 USD

Million

Jan/18 Quarterly

IMPORTS 16353 22836 2917:26131 USD

Million

Jan/18 Quarterly

Government Last Previous Range Unit Reference Frequency GOVERNMENT

DEBT TO GDP 44.2 39.5 8.9:47.5 % Dec/18 Yearly

GOVERNMENT

BUDGET -3.1 -1.8 -6.2:6.6 % of

GDP

Dec/18 Yearly

CREDIT RATING 15 Monthly

Source: tradingeconomy.com

GDP

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Iran was worth 439.51 billion US dollars in 2017. The GDP

value of Iran represents 0.71 percent of the world economy. GDP in Iran averaged 175.13 USD Billion

from 1965 until 2017, reaching an all time high of 598.85 USD Billion in 2012 and a record low of

6.20 USD Billion in 1965.4

4 https://tradingeconomics.com/iran/gdp

GDP Annual Growth Rate

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Iran expanded 1.80 percent in the second quarter of 2018

over the same quarter of the previous year. GDP Annual Growth Rate in Iran averaged 4.53 percent

from 1963 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 23.01 percent in the second quarter of 1992 and

a record low of -12.54 percent in the fourth quarter of 1979.5

GDP Per Capita

The Gross Domestic Product per capita in Iran was last recorded at 6946.86 US dollars in 2017. The

GDP per Capita in Iran is equivalent to 55 percent of the world's average. GDP per capita in Iran

averaged 5637.26 USD from 1960 until 2017, reaching an all time high of 10265.70 USD in 1976 and

a record low of 2980.58 USD in 1960.6

5 https://tradingeconomics.com/iran/gdp-growth-annual 6 https://tradingeconomics.com/iran/gdp-per-capita

Government Budget

Iran recorded a Government Budget deficit equal to 3.10 percent of the country's Gross Domestic

Product in 2018. Government Budget in Iran averaged -0.36 percent of GDP from 1990 until 2018,

reaching an all time high of 6.60 percent of GDP in 2000 and a record low of -6.20 percent of GDP in

1993.7

7 https://tradingeconomics.com/iran/government-budget

Evaluation of foreign trade

Trade Last Previous Highest Lowest Unit

Balance of Trade

12983.00 6227.00 20935.00 -6529.00 USD

Million

Current Account 11061.00 4902.00 18850.00 -9448.00 USD

Million

Current Account to GDP 1.30 4.26 10.45 -14.77 percent

Exports 29336.00 29064.00 38751.00 3112.00 USD

Million

Imports 16353.00 22836.00 26131.00 2917.00 USD

Million

Source: tradingeconomy.com

Balance of Trade

Iran recorded a trade surplus of 12983 USD Million in the second quarter of 2018. Balance of

Trade in Iran averaged 4808.44 USD Million from 1974 until 2018, reaching an all time high of

20935 USD Million in the second quarter of 2011 and a record low of -6529 USD Million in the

fourth quarter of 1992.8

8 https://tradingeconomics.com/iran/balance-of-trade

Exports and Imports

Exports in Iran increased to 29336 USD Million in the second quarter of 2018 from 29064 USD Million

in the first quarter of 2018. Exports in Iran averaged 17978.83 USD Million from 1974 until 2018,

reaching an all time high of 38751 USD Million in the second quarter of 2011 and a record low of

3112 USD Million in the first quarter of 1999.9

Imports in Iran decreased to 16353 USD Million in the second quarter of 2018 from 22836 USD

Million in the first quarter of 2018. Imports in Iran averaged 13170.39 USD Million from 1974 until

2018, reaching an all time high of 26131 USD Million in the first quarter of 2011 and a record low of

2917 USD Million in the second quarter of 1999.10

9 https://tradingeconomics.com/iran/exports 10 https://tradingeconomics.com/iran/imports

Trade Profile 2017

Extracted from: World Trade Organization (WTO), “Trade Profiles 2017”, page.172-173

http://en.iccima.ir/

Tel: (+)98 21 85 73 33 33

Fax: (+)98 21 85 73 00 00

info@iccima.ir

Our location

No. 175, Shahid Mousavi St. , Taleghani

St. Tehran, Iran

Zip Code: 1583648499

Trade Promotion Organization of Iran

Address: P.O.Box: 1148 Tadjrish, Tehran-Iran

Tel: +98-21 21919

Fax: +98-21 22664044-22664045

Website: www.tpo.ir

Email: info@tpo.ir

Islamic Republic of Iran Ministry of Industry, Mine & Agriculture

Address: PourMousa Alley-Somayyeh St-Karimkhan Ave-Tehran

Postal Code: 1599691379

Phone: +982181771

Email: info@mimt.gov.ir

Website: http://en.mimt.gov.ir/

The Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Address: Central Building:Shahid Address: Beheshti Street - Between Miremad Street and

Pakistan Street - Facing Tehran Mosalli - Tehran Iran

Building No. 2: Nasr alley of Naser - above Valiasr Square (Aj) - Vali-e-Asr Ave (Aj) - Tehran

Iran

Postal Code: 331191594

Phone: +98 21 82991

Building No. 1: +98 21 88501425 - 30

Email: info@irica.org

Website: http://www.irica.gov.ir/index.php?newlang=eng