Tehran was awarded a Guinness World Record for the 10.2 million spectators lining the 20-mile (32-kilometer) route for the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s cemetery procession–representing the largest percentage of a nation’s population to ever attend a funeral. Eight people in the crushing crowds were killed and 500 injured during the June 11, 1989 ceremony.
Iran places just shy of the world’s top 50 exporters, shipping US$46.3 billion worth of goods around the globe in 2016. Highest-value Iranian exports are petroleum oils, ethylene polymers (plastics), methanol, peat, iron, nitrogenous fertilizers, pistachios, ammonia and copper according to the International Trade Centre.
Capital Facts for Tehran, Iran: Quick Reference
Geography
Capital landmarks: Azadi Tower, Niavaran Palace Complex and the Tehran Bazaar
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Tehran, Iran:
- Shohreh Aghdashloo, actress (born May 11, 1952)
- Shaun Toub, actor (born Jan 8, 1963)
- Azar Nafisi, writer & professor (born Dec. 1, 1948)
- Bobby Naderi, actor (born Nov. 19, 1984)
- Mina Nouri, painter (born Jan. 6, 1951)
- Navid Negahban, actor & producer (born Jun. 2, 1968)
- Uldouz Wallace, actress & model (born Sep. 19, 1981)
- Amir Shervan, director & producer (born May 24, 1929)
- Shabnam Gholikhani, actress & director (born Nov. 10, 1977)
- Simin Behbahani, poet (born Jul. 20, 1927)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches mostly targeting published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for a Tehran resident: Tehranian
Population: 8,846,782 (Tehran city)
Density: 31,596 people per square mile (12,199 per square kilometer)
Population: 14,505,904 (Greater Tehran)
Density: 23,025 people per square mile (8,890 per square kilometer)
Population: 82,801,633 (Iran)
Density: 140 people per square mile (54 per square kilometer)
Financial
GDP: US$1.459 trillion as of October 2016 (for Iran, per WorldsRichestCountries.com)
GDP per person: $18,136
Note: The above country-level GDP metrics are on a Purchasing Power Parity basis and are in U.S. dollars. Credible city GDP statistics for Tehran were unavailable.
Official currency used in Tehran: Iranian rial
Research
Research Sources:
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data). Accessed on November 18, 2016
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Field Listing: Major Urban Areas. Accessed on November 18, 2016
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Middle East: Iran. Accessed on January 31, 2017
CityMetric, Where are largest cities in the world? 2015 edition. Accessed on November 18, 2016
Guinness World Records, Largest percentage of population to attend a funeral. Accessed on January 31, 2017
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on January 31, 2017
Official Government Website, Tehran Municipality. Accessed on November 18, 2016
The World Factbook, Field Listing: World, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on November 18, 2016
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags. Accessed on November 18, 2016
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Greater Tehran. Accessed on November 18, 2016
Wikipedia, Iran. Accessed on January 31, 2017
Wikipedia, Tehran. Accessed on November 18, 2016
Tehran city is home to an estimated 8.8 million people living over 280 square miles (730 square kilometers).
Greater Tehran refers to Tehran’s urbanized metropolitan area which encompasses Iran’s capital city plus the cities of Ray and Shemiranat among other urban locations. Greater Tehran covers 630 square miles (1,632 square kilometers) within which reside 14.5 million people.
At the country level, Iran’s land territory covers a massive 591,352 square miles (1,531,595 square kilometers). The national population count was 82.8 million inhabitants as of July 2016.
The Islamic Republic of Iran was proclaimed on April 1, 1979. Iranians celebrate Republic Day as a public holiday each April 1.
Population density is higher within Iran’s capital city with an average 31,600 Tehranians per square mile (12,200 per square kilometer).
Urban density diminishes to an average 23,000 people per square mile (8,900 per square kilometer) for Greater Tehran.
For Iran overall, national population density drops dramatically to an average 140 residents per square mile (54 per square kilometer).