Iran is one of the oldest centers of world civilization, and this undoubtedly affected the composition of the population. A modern type of man mastered the territory of this country at the turn of the Middle and Upper Paleolithic. In the formation of the ethnic appearance of the state, a large role was played by the resettlement of Aryan tribes, who came to the Iranian plateau in the second millennium BC. Over the centuries, this territory was subjected to invasions and invasions of different peoples, and all of them influenced the composition of the population. That is why ethnic groups with purely Iranian roots have not survived today. In the article we will talk about how many people are currently living in Iran, as well as talk about the ethnic and religious composition of the country's inhabitants.
general information
As of 2012 (the most recent data available), Iran's population (total) is 78,868,711. About half of the inhabitants are Persians, with the vast majority being Shia Muslims. It is noteworthy that a quarter of all Iranians are under the age of fifteen.
Iranian population: ethnic composition
As just said, now the main ethnic group of the country is the Persians (from 36 to 61 percent according to various estimates). They live in the entire state and speak Farsi (it is state language). The province of Pars is considered their historical homeland. However, there are several large ethnic groups in the country. The population of Iran is also represented by Azerbaijanis (from 16 to 45 percent according to various estimates), who mainly live in the northwestern part of the state, in the so-called Iranian Azerbaijan. It should be noted that Azerbaijanis are the only large national minority in the country that does not belong to the Iranian language family. Representatives of this ethnic group speak the Azerbaijani language.
About 7-10 percent of the state’s residents are Kurds. They are mainly concentrated in the west of Iran, in the provinces of Western Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Kermanshah. Along the Caspian Sea, in the north of the country, there are Gilanians, Mazenderans, Talyshs (about 7 percent). The population of Iran in the northeast is represented by the Turkmens (most of them live in the Golestanstan), as well as Turkic tribes (Karagozlou, Taymurtash, Karayi) and Charaimak ethnic groups.
The southeast of the state is occupied by the Baluchis (the Sistan and Baluchistan osts). In addition, their individual groups live in western Mekran, Khorasan and Kerman. In the southwest, bakhtiars and lures are concentrated. The same territory is also inhabited by Arabs, they are mainly represented in the province of Khuzestan and on the coast of the Persian Gulf. Other ethnic minorities include Tatis, Laks, Armenians, Fereydan Georgians, Assyrians, tribal associations of Hamsa and Kashkays.
Languages
The population of Iran mainly speaks the Persian language (Farsi), which belongs to the Iranian group of Indo-European languages. As the Arab conquests took place, the New Persian language began to form, in it most of the vocabulary is made up of Arabic words using Arabic graphics. Farsi, speaking to the Persians as a native, is a means of interethnic communication. Also among the languages of the Iranian group are Balochi, Tat, Kurdish, Talysh, Gilan, Lur (including Kuhgilui), Pashto, Mazenderan, Bakhtiyar and Turkic dialects. The Persian alphabet is also used for other languages, with the exception of Jewish and Armenian. More than one fourth of the population speaks the languages of the Turkic group , mainly Turkmens, Azerbaijani Turks and Kashkays. Despite the small number of Arabs in the composition of the country's inhabitants , the Arabic language, which is the language of Islamic sciences and the Koran, is widely used in religious practice. According to the IRI Constitution, its study in high school is compulsory.
Iranian population: religious composition
Islam came to this country together with the Arab conquerors back in the 7th century, as a result of which Zoroastrianism was supplanted from Persia. Now 98 percent of all citizens of the country profess Islam, 90 percent of them are Shiites (Azerbaijanis, Persians, Talysh, Arabs, Mazenderans, Gilans) and only 8 percent are Sunnis (Balochis, Kurds, Turkmens). Half a percent of the total number of inhabitants (169 thousand people) profess Christianity, these are mainly Assyrians (Nestorians, Chaldo Catholics) and Armenians. There are also small groups of Orthodox. Three Presbyterian communities, divided according to the linguistic principle, are represented by Protestants: Assyrians, Persians, Armenians. Besides them, there are Seventh-day Adventists, Anglicans, Pentecostals. In total, there are at least 8 thousand protestants in Iran.
Iranian Jews living compactly in large cities such as Isfahan, Tehran, Shiraz, profess Judaism, their number is about 10 thousand people. It is noteworthy that there are more Jews living here than in any other Muslim state.
Iran is a liberal country
Despite the fact that Iran is an Islamic republic, and, as you know, such states often impose restrictions on followers of other beliefs, quite liberal laws apply here, which distinguishes it, say, from countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.