IRAN: FERTILE LANDSCAPE FOR INVESTMENT?
With good demographics and potential opportunities for FDI in a range of sectors, Iran is poised to make the most of further relaxing of economic sanctions.
Iran GDP and Economic Data
Country Report 2017 - Includes Iran real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.
Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Iran economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of Iran best banks and safest banks are also available.
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Central bank
The Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Gross Domestic Product - GDP
USD 438.3 billion (2017, estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
Intl$ 1,551.1 billion (2017, estimate)
Real GDP growth
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
| 5.7% | 9.1% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 6.6% | 3.8% | -6.6% |
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016* | 2017* | ||
| -1.9% | 4.3% | 0.4% | 4.5% | 4.1% |
*Estimate
GDP (PPP) - share of world total
| 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2017* |
| 1.28% | 1.32% | 1.27% | 1.42% | 1.2% |
*Estimate
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GDP - composition by sector
- agriculture: 9.1%
- industry: 39.9%
- services: 51%
(2016 estimate)
Inflation
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016* | 2017* |
| 34.7% | 15.6% | 11.9% | 7.4% | 7.2% |
*Estimate
Unemployment rate
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016* | 2017* |
| 10.4% | 10.6% | 10.8% | 11.3% | 11.2% |
*Estimate
Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016* | 2017* |
| 15.4% | 15.6% | 15.9% | 14.9% | 15% |
*Estimate
Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016* | 2017* |
| -0.9% | -1.2% | -1.7% | -1.1% | -1% |
*Estimate
Government bond ratings
Standard & Poor's: B-
Moody's: N/A
Standard & Poor's / Moody's (Updated January 2017)
Source
Market value of publicly traded shares
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
| USD 345.8 billion | USD 116.6 billion | USD 89.4 billion |
Source
Current account balance by percentage of GDP
3.3% (2017 estimate)
Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)
24.2% (2014)
Shares in world total merchandising export
0.4% (2015)
Shares in world total commercial services export
0.2% (2015)
Export commodities
Petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets, cement, ore
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Import commodities
Industrial supplies, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services
Exports - major partners
China 22.2%, India 9.9%, Turkey 8.4%, Japan 4.5% (2015)
Imports - major partners
UAE 39.6%, China 22.4%, South Korea 4.7%, Turkey 4.6% (2015)
FDI inflows
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
| USD 3,050 million | USD 2,105 million | USD 2,050 million |
FDI outflows
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
| USD 166 million | USD 89 million | USD 139 million |
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014
N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015
N/A
Best countries for doing business
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.
Overall ranking: 120 out of 190 countries (2017)
Subcategories:
Starting a business: 102 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 70 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 86 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 101 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 165 out of 190 countries
Trading Across Borders: 170 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 100 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 27 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 94 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 156 out of 190 countries
Source
Global competitiveness ranking
76 out of 138 countries
(2016-2017)
Index of Economic Freedom
Ranking: 171 / Score: 43.49 (Repressed) (2016)
(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)
Source
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Languages
Persian (official), Azeri Turkic and Turkic dialects, Kurdish, Gilaki and Mazandarani, Luri, Balochi, Arabic, other
Religions
Muslim (official) 99.4% (Shia 90-95%, Sunni 5-10%), other (includes Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Christian) 0.3%, unspecified 0.4% (2011 est.)
Total population
| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2016* | 2021* |
| 52.36 million | 63.862 million | 74.462 million | 80.46 million | 84.995 million |
*Estimate
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Urban population as % of total population
| 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2015 |
| 34% | 50% | 64% | 73% |
Literacy
Total population: 86.8%
Male: 91.2%
Female: 82.5% (2015 est.)
(age 15 and over can read and write)
% of population living on less than $3.10 a day
9.6% (2014)
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)
37.4 (2013)
(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)
Source
Freedom House rating
Political Rights: 6
Civil Liberties: 6 (2017)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)
Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population
Fixed 38.27% Mobile 93.38% (2015)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)