List of largest cities of Iran

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 8.7 million (2016 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]

The most populated cities of Iran in 2010.
Iranian population density map (based on data from the 1996 census).

Mashhad, with a population of 3 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 1.9 million (as of 2016). This city is one of the most industrial cities of Iran with large industries and hosts several UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city 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 (as of 2016). 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 fifth most populous Iranian city is Shiraz (population 1.57 million), which is located in the southwest of Iran with a moderate climate and has been a regional trade center for over a thousand years. Shiraz is one of the oldest cities of ancient Persia, known as the city of poets, literature, flowers . It is also considered by many Iranians to be the city of gardens, and also a major center for Iran's electronic industries.

The other major cities are Tabriz (population 1.56 million), Qom (population 1.2 million), and Ahvaz (population 1.18 million).

Cities over 100,000 population

The following sorted table, lists the most populous cities in Iran with a population of more than 100,000 according to 2016 Census results announced by Statistical Center of Iran.[6] A city is displayed in bold if it is the province capital.

2016

Rank

 City Province Date of Official
Foundation of
Municipality		 2016 Census 2011 Census Change
1 Tehran Tehran 1907 9,135,000 8,154,051 +12.03%
2 Mashhad Razavi Khorasan 1918 3,208,000 2,749,374 +16.68%
3 Isfahan Isfahan 1907 2,132,000 1,756,126 +21.40%
4 Karaj Alborz 1951 1,592,492 1,460,665 +9.03%
5 Shiraz Fars 1907 1,565,572 1,500,732 +4.32%
6 Tabriz East Azerbaijan 1907 1,558,693 1,494,988 +4.26%
7 Qom Qom 1926 1,288,000 1,074,036 +19.92%
8 Ahvaz Khuzestan 1925 1,244,000 1,112,021 +11.87%
9 Kermanshah Kermanshah 1912 1,026,000 851,405 +20.51%
10 Urmia West Azerbaijan 1928 793,000 667,499 +18.80%
11 Rasht Gilan 1907 713,000 639,951 +11.41%
12 Zahedan Sistan and Baluchestan 1938 610,000 560,725 +8.79%
13 Hamadan Hamadan 1911 554,405 525,794 +5.44%
14 Kerman Kerman 1921 537,718 534,441 +0.61%
15 Yazd Yazd 1926 529,673 432,194 +22.55%
16 Ardabil Ardabil 1925 529,374 418,262 +26.57%
17 Bandar Abbas Hormozgan 1925 526,648 435,751 +20.86%
18 Arak Markazi 1927 520,944 526,182 −1.00%
19 Eslamshahr Tehran 1978 448,129 357,171 +25.47%
22 Qazvin Qazvin 1924 402,748 381,598 +5.54%
20 Zanjan Zanjan 1923 430,871 341,801 +26.06%
23 Khorramabad Lorestan 1931 373,416 348,216 +7.24%
21 Sanandaj Kurdistan 1928 412,767 373,987 +10.37%
29 Malard Tehran 1995 281,027 290,817 −3.37%
27 Qods Tehran 1989 309,605 283,517 +9.20%
28 Kashan Isfahan 1930 304,487 275,325 +10.59%
24 Gorgan Golestan 1925 350,676 329,536 +6.42%
35 Golestan Tehran 1996 239,556 259,480 −7.68%
25 Sari Mazandaran 1927 309,820 296,417 +4.52%
26 Shahriar Tehran 1952 309,607 249,473 +24.10%
30 Dezful Khuzestan 1920 264,709 248,380 +6.57%
33 Khomeyni Shahr Isfahan 1932 247,128 244,696 +0.99%
39 Borujerd Lorestan 1935 234,997 240,654 −2.35%
35 Nishapur Razavi Khorasan 1931 264,375 239,185 +10.53%
34 Sabzevar Razavi Khorasan 1930 243,700 231,557 +5.24%
38 Najafabad Isfahan 1931 235,281 221,814 +6.07%
36 Amol Mazandaran 1933 237,528 219,915 +8.01%
32 Babol Mazandaran 1925 250,217 219,467 +14.01%
43 Varamin Tehran 1941 225,628 218,991 +3.03%
40 Abadan Khuzestan 1924 231,476 212,744 +8.80%
37 Pakdasht Tehran 1991 236,319 206,490 +14.45%
50 Khoy West Azerbaijan 1923 198,845 200,958 −1.05%
45 Saveh Markazi 1931 220,762 200,481 +10.12%
42 Bojnord North Khorasan 1931 228,931 199,791 +14.59%
46 Qaem Shahr Mazandaran 1935 204,953 196,050 +4.54%
44 Bushehr Bushehr 1922 223,504 195,222 +14.49%
41 Qarchak Tehran 1976 231,075 191,588 +20.61%
49 Sirjan Kerman 1936 199,704 185,623 +7.59%
47 Birjand South Khorasan 1928 203,636 178,020 +14.39%
51 Ilam Ilam 1936 194,030 172,213 +12.67%
52 Bukan West Azerbaijan 1948 193,501 170,600 +13.42%
56 Maragheh East Azerbaijan 1921 175,255 162,275 +8.00%
58 Malayer Hamadan 1934 170,237 159,848 +6.50%
53 Shahr-e Kord Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari 1931 190,441 159,775 +19.19%
61 Bandar-e Mahshahr Khuzestan 1954 162,797 153,778 +5.86%
54 Semnan Semnan 1925 185,129 153,680 +20.46%
62 Rafsanjan Kerman 1935 161,909 151,420 +6.93%
59 Mahabad West Azerbaijan 1931 168,393 147,268 +14.34%
63 Gonbad-e Kavus Golestan 1934 151,910 144,546 +5.09%
57 Shahin Shahr Isfahan 1976 173,329 143,308 +20.95%
64 Shahrud Semnan 1925 150,129 140,474 +6.87%
60 Saqqez Kurdistan 1935 165,258 139,738 +18.26%
65 Marvdasht Fars 1950 148,858 138,649 +7.36%
72 Zabol Sistan and Baluchestan 1928 134,950 137,722 −2.01%
68 Torbat-e Heydarieh Razavi Khorasan 1928 140,019 131,150 +6.76%
75 Khorramshahr Khuzestan 1925 133,097 129,418 +2.84%
70 Andimeshk Khuzestan 1956 135,116 126,811 +6.55%
76 Marand East Azerbaijan 1929 130,825 124,323 +5.23%
71 Shahreza Isfahan 1929 134,952 123,767 +9.04%
74 Miandoab West Azerbaijan 1935 134,425 123,081 +9.22%
83 Izeh Khuzestan 1958 119,399 117,093 +1.97%
84 Bandar-e Anzali Gilan 1922 118,564 116,664 +1.63%
67 Jahrom Fars 1925 141,634 114,108 +24.12%
77 Jiroft Kerman 1946 130,429 111,034 +17.47%
69 Marivan Kurdistan 1957 136,654 110,464 +23.71%
66 Kamal Shahr Alborz 1996 141,669 109,943 +28.86%
73 Yasuj Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad 1970 134,532 108,505 +23.99%
81 Nazarabad Alborz 2002 119,512 107,806 +10.86%
79 Behbahan Khuzestan 1937 122,604 107,412 +14.14%
78 Bam Kerman 1937 127,396 107,131 +18.92%
87 Fasa Fars 1926 110,825 104,809 +5.74%
94 Quchan Razavi Khorasan 1937 101,604 103,760 −2.08%
97 Masjed Soleyman Khuzestan 1959 100,497 103,369 −2.78%
82 Mohammadshahr Alborz 1996 119,418 100,519 +18.80%
80 Dorud Lorestan 1949 121,638 99,499 +22.25%
88 Borazjan Bushehr 1928 110,567 95,449 +15.84%
55 Fardis Alborz 2013 181,174 181,174 0.00%
48 Nasimshahr Tehran 1995 200,393 157,474 +27.25%
85 Andisheh Tehran 2003 116,062 96,807 +19.89%
86 Iranshahr Sistan and Baluchestan 1940 113,750 97,012 +17.25%
89 Baneh Kurdistan 1948 110,218 85,190 +29.38%
90 Chabahar Sistan and Baluchestan 1950 106,739 85,633 +24.65%
91 Robat Karim Tehran 1983 105,393 78,097 +34.95%
92 Kashmar Razavi Khorasan 1929 102,282 90,200 +13.39%
93 Shushtar Khuzestan 1927 101,878 106,815 −4.62%
95 Lahijan Gilan 1928 101,073 94,051 +7.47%
96 Ahar East Azerbaijan 1944 100,641 92,608 +8.67%
98 Torbat-e Jam Razavi Khorasan 1933 100,449 94,758 +6.01%

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 2016 census.

ProvinceLargest city2nd Largest3rd Largest4th largest
TehranTehranEslamshahrShahriarShahr-e Qods
Razavi KhorasanMashhadNishapurSabzevarTorbat-e Heydarieh
East AzerbaijanTabrizMaraghehMarandAhar
AlborzKarajFardisKamalshahrNazarabad
IsfahanIsfahanKashanKhomeyni ShahrNajafabad
FarsShirazMarvdashtJahromFasaKazerun
KhuzestanAhvazDezfulAbadanMahshahr
MazandaranSariBabolAmolQa'em Shahr
West AzerbaijanUrmiaKhoyBukanMahabad
KermanKermanSirjanRafsanjanJiroft
GilanRashtBandar-e AnzaliLahijanLangrud
Sistan and BaluchistanZahedanZabolIran ShahrChabahar
KermanshahKermanshahEslamabad-e GharbJavanrudKangavar
LorestanKhorramabadBorujerdDorudAligudarz
HamadanHamadanMalayerNahavandAsadabad
GolestanGorganGonbad-e KavusBandar TorkamanAli Abad
KurdistanSanandajSaghezMarivanBaneh
HormozganBandar AbbasMinabQeshmKish
MarkaziArakSavehKhomeinMahallat
ArdabilArdabilParsabadMeshkinshahrKhalkhal
QazvinQazvinAlvandMohammadiyehTakestan
QomQomQanavatJafariyehKahak
YazdYazdMeybodArdakanBafq
ZanjanZanjanAbharKhorramdarehQidar
BushehrBushehrBorazjanBandar GanavehBandar Kangan
Chahar Mahaal and BakhtiariShahr-e KordBorujenLordeganFarrokhshahr
North KhorasanBojnurdShirvanEsfarayenAshkhaneh
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-AhmadYasujDogonbadanDehdashtLikak
South KhorasanBirjandGhayenTabasFerdows
SemnanSemnanShahrudDamghanGarmsar
IlamIlamDehloranEyvanAbdanan
  • 1. Tehran, Tehran Province
  • 2. Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi Province
  • 3. Isfahan, Isfahan Province
  • 4. Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province
  • 5. Karaj, Alborz 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

See also

References & notes
  1. Payvand. "Iran: Focus on reverse migration". Retrieved 2006-04-17.
  2. "Islamic Azad University", retrieved 28 Jan 2008 Archived November 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  3. Assari, Ali; T.M. Mahesh (2011). "Urbanization Process in Iranian Cities". Asian Journal of Development Matters. 5 (1): 151–154. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  4. Religious Tourism Potentials Rich retrieved 28 Feb 2008 Archived February 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  5. Mashhad, Iran Archived 2010-11-27 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 28 Feb 2008
  6. https://www.amar.org.ir/english

Bibliography
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