Largest cities in Iran by population
The 98 cities the United Nations Demographic Yearbook 2024 lists for Iran: the capital and every city of 100,000 or more, with the latest figure the country reported. The largest is Tehran with 8,693,706 people.
Who runs cities in Iran?
Cities (about 1,345 municipalities) and villages (about 37,000): City and village Islamic councils directly elected for four years; the city council elects the mayor; village councils choose a village manager (dehyar). Councils approve local budgets and plans and supervise the mayor; municipalities run urban services, planning and permits.
How local power works in Iran · Level 3: local councils worldwide
| # | City | Population | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tehran (capital) | 8,693,706 | 24 September 2016 |
| 2 | Mashhad | 3,001,184 | 24 September 2016 |
| 3 | Esfahan | 1,961,260 | 24 September 2016 |
| 4 | Karaj | 1,592,492 | 24 September 2016 |
| 5 | Shiraz | 1,565,572 | 24 September 2016 |
| 6 | Tabriz | 1,558,693 | 24 September 2016 |
| 7 | Qom | 1,201,158 | 24 September 2016 |
| 8 | Ahwaz | 1,184,788 | 24 September 2016 |
| 9 | Kermanshah | 946,651 | 24 September 2016 |
| 10 | Orumiyeh | 736,224 | 24 September 2016 |
| 11 | Rasht | 679,995 | 24 September 2016 |
| 12 | Zahedan | 587,730 | 24 September 2016 |
| 13 | Hamadan | 554,406 | 24 September 2016 |
| 14 | Kerman | 537,718 | 24 September 2016 |
| 15 | Yazd | 529,673 | 24 September 2016 |
| 16 | Ardabil | 529,374 | 24 September 2016 |
| 17 | Bandar-e-Abbas | 526,648 | 24 September 2016 |
| 18 | Arak | 520,944 | 24 September 2016 |
| 19 | Islam Shahr | 448,129 | 24 September 2016 |
| 20 | Zanjan | 430,871 | 24 September 2016 |
| 21 | Sanandaj | 412,767 | 24 September 2016 |
| 22 | Qazvin | 402,748 | 24 September 2016 |
| 23 | Khoramabad | 373,416 | 24 September 2016 |
| 24 | Gorgan | 350,676 | 24 September 2016 |
| 25 | Sari | 309,820 | 24 September 2016 |
| 26 | Shahriar | 309,607 | 24 September 2016 |
| 27 | Qods | 309,605 | 24 September 2016 |
| 28 | Kashan | 304,487 | 24 September 2016 |
| 29 | Malard | 281,027 | 24 September 2016 |
| 30 | Dezful | 264,709 | 24 September 2016 |
| 31 | Neyshabur | 264,375 | 24 September 2016 |
| 32 | Babol | 250,217 | 24 September 2016 |
| 33 | Khomeini shahr | 247,128 | 24 September 2016 |
| 34 | Sabzewar | 243,700 | 24 September 2016 |
| 35 | Golestan | 239,556 | 24 September 2016 |
| 36 | Amol | 237,528 | 24 September 2016 |
| 37 | Pakdasht | 236,319 | 24 September 2016 |
| 38 | Najafabad | 235,281 | 24 September 2016 |
| 39 | Borujerd | 234,997 | 24 September 2016 |
| 40 | Abadan | 231,476 | 24 September 2016 |
| 41 | Qarchak | 231,075 | 24 September 2016 |
| 42 | Bojnurd | 228,931 | 24 September 2016 |
| 43 | Varamin | 225,628 | 24 September 2016 |
| 44 | Bushehr | 223,504 | 24 September 2016 |
| 45 | Saveh | 220,762 | 24 September 2016 |
| 46 | Qaem shahr | 204,953 | 24 September 2016 |
| 47 | Birjand | 203,636 | 24 September 2016 |
| 48 | Nasim Shahr | 200,393 | 24 September 2016 |
| 49 | Sirjan | 199,704 | 24 September 2016 |
| 50 | Khoy | 198,845 | 24 September 2016 |
| 51 | Ilam | 194,030 | 24 September 2016 |
| 52 | Bukand | 193,501 | 24 September 2016 |
| 53 | Shahr-e-Kord | 190,441 | 24 September 2016 |
| 54 | Semnan | 185,129 | 24 September 2016 |
| 55 | Fardis | 181,174 | 24 September 2016 |
| 56 | Maraqeh | 175,255 | 24 September 2016 |
| 57 | Shahinshahr | 173,329 | 24 September 2016 |
| 58 | Malayer | 170,237 | 24 September 2016 |
| 59 | Mahabad | 168,393 | 24 September 2016 |
| 60 | Saqez | 165,258 | 24 September 2016 |
| 61 | Bandar-e-Mahshahr | 162,797 | 24 September 2016 |
| 62 | Rafsanjan | 161,909 | 24 September 2016 |
| 63 | Gonbad-e-Kavus | 151,910 | 24 September 2016 |
| 64 | Shahrud | 150,129 | 24 September 2016 |
| 65 | Marvadsht | 148,858 | 24 September 2016 |
| 66 | Kamal Shahr | 141,669 | 24 September 2016 |
| 67 | Jahrom | 141,634 | 24 September 2016 |
| 68 | Torbat-e-heydariyeh | 140,019 | 24 September 2016 |
| 69 | Marivan | 136,654 | 24 September 2016 |
| 70 | Andimeshk | 135,116 | 24 September 2016 |
| 71 | Shahreza | 134,952 | 24 September 2016 |
| 72 | Zabol | 134,950 | 24 September 2016 |
| 73 | Yasooj | 134,532 | 24 September 2016 |
| 74 | Miandoab | 134,425 | 24 September 2016 |
| 75 | Khoramshahr | 133,097 | 24 September 2016 |
| 76 | Marand | 130,825 | 24 September 2016 |
| 77 | Jiroft | 130,429 | 24 September 2016 |
| 78 | Bam | 127,396 | 24 September 2016 |
| 79 | Behbahan | 122,604 | 24 September 2016 |
| 80 | Dorud | 121,638 | 24 September 2016 |
| 81 | Nazar Abad | 119,512 | 24 September 2016 |
| 82 | Mohammad Shahr | 119,418 | 24 September 2016 |
| 83 | Izeh | 119,399 | 24 September 2016 |
| 84 | Bandar-e-Anzali | 118,564 | 24 September 2016 |
| 85 | Andisheh | 116,062 | 24 September 2016 |
| 86 | Iranshahr | 113,750 | 24 September 2016 |
| 87 | Fasa | 110,825 | 24 September 2016 |
| 88 | Borazjan | 110,567 | 24 September 2016 |
| 89 | Baneh | 110,218 | 24 September 2016 |
| 90 | Chabahar | 106,739 | 24 September 2016 |
| 91 | Robatkarim | 105,393 | 24 September 2016 |
| 92 | Kashmar | 102,282 | 24 September 2016 |
| 93 | Shoshtar | 101,878 | 24 September 2016 |
| 94 | Quchan | 101,604 | 24 September 2016 |
| 95 | Lahijan | 101,073 | 24 September 2016 |
| 96 | Ahar | 100,641 | 24 September 2016 |
| 97 | Masjed Soleyman | 100,497 | 24 September 2016 |
| 98 | Torbatejam | 100,449 | 24 September 2016 |
Countries define a city in different ways (the city proper, or the wider urban area) and report in different years, so cities in different countries are not always comparable.
More on Iran: official statistics · government and power · regions
Sources
- United Nations Statistics Division: Demographic Yearbook 2024, Table 8: Population of capital cities and cities of 100 000 or more inhabitants, latest available year, 2005-2024, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0c6784df022e…)
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