Iran

Iran is a country in Southern Asia, classified by the United Nations under UN M49 code 364, with ISO alpha-2 code IR and ISO alpha-3 code IRN. The World Bank lists Tehran as the capital. The verified starting points below cover the fixed classification facts, how to look up volatile data yourself, and which sources to trust for different kinds of claims. Nothing here attempts to settle political or territorial disputes; the guidance shows how to find and attribute verifiable information.

Country basics

Iran is a UN member state in the UN’s Southern Asia subregion, within the broader Asia region. The UN M49 standard assigns Iran the numeric code 364 and the alphabetic codes IR (alpha-2) and IRN (alpha-3). These codes are stable identifiers used by international organizations and data systems. The UN M49 overview at is the authoritative source for this statistical grouping. Note that UN statistical regions are geographic groupings for data collection, not political or territorial claims.

The World Bank lists Tehran as the capital. Country codes are useful for cross-referencing datasets, but they do not imply any position on sovereignty, borders, or naming conventions. When comparing Iran to other nations, always check which classification system a dataset uses; the UN, World Bank, and ISO all maintain slightly different groupings.

Population: how to verify the current figure

Population figures for Iran are estimates, not exact counts. The most recent national census was conducted in 2016 by the Statistical Centre of Iran (SCI), and the next census was planned for 2026. Between censuses, the SCI publishes projections. The United Nations Population Division also publishes annual estimates, and the World Bank provides its own series. These three sources will not match exactly because they use different base data, projection assumptions, and reference dates.

For a current figure, do not rely on a single number from a search result. Check the UN World Population Prospects (population.un.org/wpp) for the latest biennial estimates, and the World Bank indicator SP.POP.TOTL via the API for its annual estimate. Always write the reference year next to the figure, for example “estimated population,2023, UN WPP” or “2024 World Bank estimate.” Iran’s national statistical centre, the Statistical Centre of Iran, publishes census results and household survey estimates; those are the primary national source. If you are comparing nations, note that Iran’s population figure can vary by several million between the latest census and intercensal projections because of migration, registration lag, and the gap between census years.

Stable classification facts

These identifiers come from the UN Statistics Division M49 classification and are a matter of statistical convention, not political recognition. The same source defines the regional grouping used in UN publications. Country codes are maintained separately by the ISO 3166 standard and the International Organization for Standardization.

• UN M49 code: 364
• ISO alpha-2: IR
• ISO alpha-3: IRN
• UN region: Asia
• UN subregion: Southern Asia
• UN member state: Yes (founding member, 24 October 1945)
• World Bank capital field: Tehran
• Country name (short): Iran (Islamic Republic of Iran in formal use)

Source: UN M49 overview and World Bank country API (

The capital city is Tehran. The World Bank country page lists Tehran in its capital field, which is the standard administrative reference. For territorial or political claims involving the capital or national borders, consult the relevant United Nations resolutions and official government sources; this guidance does not adjudicate sovereignty disputes.

What the classification does and does not tell you

The UN M49 code 364 and the ISO codes IR/IRN are statistical identifiers. They classify Iran as part of Asia and Southern Asia in the UN geoscheme. They do not take a position on political status, territorial disputes, or recognition beyond the fact that Iran is a UN member state. The World Bank’s capital field lists Tehran; that is an administrative fact, not a political endorsement. When you compare nations, keep the statistical grouping separate from territorial or sovereignty claims. For how to read these distinctions, see the country comparison guide.

How to verify current facts about Iran

The figures that people quote for Iran, population, GDP, inflation, literacy, internet penetration, are estimates, not fixed truths. They change by year, by source, and by definition. To build a reliable profile, use primary sources and note the reference year for every statistic you cite.

Start with stable identifiers

The United Nations Statistics Division assigns Iran the M49 code 364, ISO alpha-2 code IR, and ISO alpha-3 code IRN. The UN lists Iran under the region Asia and the subregion Southern Asia. Iran is a UN member state. The World Bank capital field lists Tehran. These identifiers do not change and are useful for cross-referencing datasets. For the M49 overview, see:

Population, economy and development indicators

Use the World Bank’s country API:

This returns a machine-readable country profile with the official name, capital, region, income level, and lending category. For time-series indicators (population, GDP per capita, life expectancy, Gini index, internet penetration), query the World Bank indicators API and always note the reference year. The most recent year may be 2-3 years behind the current date because national statistical offices collect and validate data before release.

Health metrics

For life expectancy, infant mortality, and disease burden, use the World Health Organization’s Global Health Observatory. WHO data is not always aligned with World Bank years; when comparing, cite both sources and their reference years.

Education and cultural heritage

Use UNESCO statistics and the World Heritage List. UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics publishes education data; the World Heritage Centre maintains the official list of designated sites.

Political rights and civil liberties

Use Freedom House’s Freedom in the World index, which publishes transparent criteria and year-specific scores. For perceived corruption, use Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index; note that it measures perceived corruption, not proven corruption.

Travel and safety

Do not rely on a single summary for travel and safety. Consult your own government’s foreign ministry travel advisory and the IATA Travel Centre. Visa rules change without notice, and entry requirements depend on your citizenship, purpose of visit, and current bilateral agreements.

Country codes and technical identifiers

The IANA root zone database is the authoritative source for country-code top-level domains (ccTLD), while the UN M49 standard provides stable region and subregion codes.