GDP per Capita · Data & Comparison
Iran, Islamic Republic of GDP per Capita
Iran's GDP per capita: what does the headline figure hide about income per person?
Iran's nominal GDP per capita reached USD 5,000 in 2024, while its PPP-adjusted figure stood at USD 20,456, a ratio of roughly 4.1. This gap reflects the collapse of the rial and the parallel FX market, which depress dollar-denominated income but leave domestic purchasing power substantially higher. The nominal figure has recovered from a 2020 low of USD 2,848, yet remains below the 2010 peak of USD 7,181. The PPP measure shows a steadier path, rising from USD 15,451 in 2020 to USD 20,456 in 2024, a 32.4% increase. GNI per capita, at USD 5,130, sits close to the nominal GDP figure, indicating that net foreign income is small. This page examines the long-run series since 1980, the drivers of Iran's income per person, and how the country compares with peers. It also considers what the headline figures do not capture, including distribution, sanctions, and the state-dominated economic structure.
What is GDP per capita (nominal)?
GDP per capita is a country's GDP divided by its midyear population. It is the most common shorthand for average income or output per person.
How it is measured. Nominal GDP in current US dollars divided by midyear population. Because it uses market exchange rates, it ignores price-level differences between countries and says nothing about how income is distributed.
How to read it. Use it to compare average economic output per person. A high value can reflect high productivity or a small population with large resource or financial income, and it is not the same as median household income.
Source: World Bank WDI. See our methodology.
Current GDP per capita: nominal versus PPP
Latest nominal and PPP readings
Iran's nominal GDP per capita reached USD 5,000.11 in 2024, up from USD 2,847.77 in 2020, a rise of 75.6 per cent across the five-year span. The PPP measure for the same year stands at USD 20,455.98, against USD 15,450.83 in 2020, a gain of 32.4 per cent. Both series therefore recovered from the 2020 trough, but the nominal figure remains below its 2012-era peak while the PPP figure has pushed past earlier highs. The 2024 PPP value is the highest in the 2020s window and exceeds the 2019 level of USD 14,260.85 by roughly 43 per cent.
The size of the gap
The ratio between the two measures is approximately 4.09 to 1 in 2024 (20,455.98 divided by 5,000.11). That spread is wider than the 3.9 implied by the 2020 pair (15,450.83 against 2,847.77) and wider than the 3.6 recorded in 2010, when nominal GDP per capita was USD 7,181.38 and the PPP figure USD 16,414.33. A widening ratio indicates that domestic prices, converted at market exchange rates, have drifted further from the price levels embedded in the PPP conversion. In practical terms, the same basket of goods costs proportionally more in Iran than the nominal dollar figure suggests.
Why the two series diverge
Nominal GDP per capita converts output at the official exchange rate, so it moves with both real output and the rial's valuation. PPP uses a conversion rate built from relative price levels, which strips out much of the currency effect. Iran's nominal series fell 51.0 per cent across the 2010s (from USD 7,181.38 to USD 3,516.31) while the PPP series fell only 13.1 per cent (from USD 16,414.33 to USD 14,260.85). The gap reflects successive exchange-rate depreciations, sanctions-related trade restrictions and a multi-tier currency regime that keeps the official rate away from market-clearing levels.
Reading the divergence in context
Real GDP growth was 3.66 per cent in 2024 and averaged 4.38 per cent across 2020 to 2024, so the PPP rise is not purely a price artefact. GNI per capita, at USD 5,130.00 in 2024, sits close to the nominal GDP per capita figure, which is consistent with a modest net factor income position. The 4.09 ratio should be treated as an indicator of domestic price distortion rather than a measure of welfare. Cross-country comparisons of living standards are better served by the PPP series; comparisons of dollar-denominated output, debt capacity or trade flows use the nominal series.
- Nominal GDP per capita 2024: USD 5,000.11
- PPP GDP per capita 2024: USD 20,455.98
- Ratio: approximately 4.09 to 1
- Nominal 2020s growth: 75.6 per cent; PPP 2020s growth: 32.4 per cent
Iran GDP per capita, nominal and PPP, selected years
| Year | Nominal GDP per capita (USD) | PPP GDP per capita (USD) | Ratio (PPP/nominal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2,848 | 15,451 | 5.43 |
| 2021 | 3,681 | 17,329 | 4.71 |
| 2022 | 4,395 | 18,853 | 4.29 |
| 2023 | 4,596 | 19,893 | 4.33 |
| 2024 | 5,000 | 20,456 | 4.09 |
The long arc since 1980: decade by decade
1980s: nominal doubling against flat PPP
Nominal GDP per capita opened the decade at USD 2,672.78 in 1980 and closed at USD 5,415.74 in 1989, a gain of 102.6 per cent across ten data points. The PPP series moved far less, from USD 4,378.50 to USD 5,145.75, a rise of 17.5 per cent, with a decade mean of USD 5,162.34. The gap between the two measures reflects exchange rate and price effects rather than a comparable change in real output, and the PPP minimum of USD 4,349.79 shows how narrow the real range remained.
1990s: a nominal collapse, a PPP advance
The nominal series peaked at USD 7,574.90 in 1990, the highest value in the entire record, then fell to USD 3,555.18 by 1999, a decline of 53.1 per cent. The trough of USD 1,203.17 sits within the decade. PPP per capita moved the other way, from USD 6,742.13 to USD 9,253.51, growth of 37.2 per cent. Real GDP growth averaged 4.06 per cent over the decade, reaching 13.59 per cent in 1990, so the nominal fall is consistent with currency and inflation dynamics rather than contracting output.
2000s: recovery in both series
Nominal per capita rose from USD 4,350.20 in 2000 to USD 6,185.36 in 2009, growth of 42.2 per cent, though the decade mean of USD 4,152.06 stayed below the 1990 opening value. PPP climbed from USD 9,864.58 to USD 15,525.11, a gain of 57.4 per cent and the strongest PPP decade on record. GNI per capita rose 200.6 per cent, from USD 1,750 to USD 5,260. Average real growth of 4.69 per cent supported the expansion, with the decade maximum of 8.64 per cent recorded in the period.
2010s: peak then reversal
Nominal per capita reached USD 7,181.38 in 2010 and a decade maximum of USD 8,817.45, then fell to USD 3,516.31 by 2019, a decline of 51.0 per cent. PPP slipped from USD 16,414.33 to USD 14,260.85, a fall of 13.1 per cent, with a decade mean of USD 15,673.53. Real growth averaged 1.28 per cent and turned negative at minus 2.36 per cent in 2019. Sanctions pressure and the currency adjustment of the period are the standard reference points for the divergence between the nominal and PPP paths.
2020s: partial rebound
The nominal series bottomed at USD 2,847.77 in 2020 and recovered to USD 5,000.11 in 2024, growth of 75.6 per cent over five points, with a decade mean of USD 4,339.27. PPP rose from USD 15,450.83 to USD 20,455.98, a gain of 32.4 per cent. Real growth averaged 4.38 per cent, easing to 3.66 per cent in 2024. GNI per capita reached USD 5,130 in 2024. The 2024 nominal value remains below the 2010 opening figure of USD 7,181.38.
Iran GDP per capita by decade: first and last values, growth, and mean
| Decade | First year value (USD) | Last year value (USD) | Growth (%) | Mean (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2,673 | 5,416 | 102.6 | 3,988 |
| 1990s | 7,575 | 3,555 | -53.1 | 2,983 |
| 2000s | 4,350 | 6,185 | 42.2 | 4,152 |
| 2010s | 7,181 | 3,516 | -51.0 | 6,127 |
| 2020s | 2,848 | 5,000 | 75.6 | 4,339 |
What drives Iran's income per person
Oil dependence and sanctions
Iran's income per person is closely tied to hydrocarbon exports and to the sanctions regime that constrains them. GDP per capita reached USD 5,000 in 2024, up from USD 2,848 in 2020, a 75.6 per cent rise across five years. That recovery followed the 2018 US withdrawal from the nuclear agreement and the reimposition of oil and banking sanctions, which pushed the measure down from USD 8,817 at its 2010s peak. Gross domestic product stood at USD 446.0 billion in 2024 against USD 245.2 billion in 2020, an 81.9 per cent increase that reflects both partial export recovery and exchange-rate effects.
Inflation and the rial
Nominal figures understate the erosion in purchasing power. GDP per capita in current dollars fell 51.0 per cent across the 2010s, from USD 7,181 in 2010 to USD 3,516 in 2019, while the PPP measure fell only 13.1 per cent over the same decade, from USD 16,414 to USD 14,261. The gap reflects double-digit inflation and successive rial depreciations, which cut dollar-denominated income faster than domestic output. GDP per capita at PPP reached USD 20,456 in 2024, against USD 15,451 in 2020, a 32.4 per cent gain. GNI per capita was USD 5,130 in 2024, close to the GDP measure.
State, bonyads and the resistance economy
A large share of output sits with state enterprises, the Revolutionary Guards and the bonyad foundations, which hold assets across industry and construction. The "resistance economy" framework, adopted under sanctions pressure, prioritises import substitution and domestic production over trade integration. Real growth has been volatile: the 1980s averaged -0.82 per cent annually, with a low of -21.6 per cent in 1980, and the 2010s averaged 1.28 per cent, ending at -2.36 per cent in 2019. Growth was 3.66 per cent in 2024. GNI per capita rose 200.6 per cent across the 2000s, from USD 1,750 to USD 5,260, before falling 20.3 per cent in the 2010s.
Demographics and human capital
Iran's fertility transition was among the fastest recorded, and the working-age share has peaked. A large cohort of university graduates now faces limited formal employment, and emigration of skilled professionals, or brain drain, removes high-earning taxpayers and dampens productivity. The 1990s show the sensitivity of income to shocks: GDP per capita fell 53.1 per cent across the decade, from USD 7,575 in 1990 to USD 3,555 in 1999, with a low of USD 1,203. The PPP series tells a different story, rising 37.2 per cent over the same period, from USD 6,742 to USD 9,254.
Structural summary
- GDP per capita: USD 5,000 (2024); 1980s mean USD 3,988; 2010s mean USD 6,127.
- GDP per capita PPP: USD 20,456 (2024); 2010s growth -13.1 per cent.
- GNI per capita: USD 5,130 (2024); 1990s growth -29.4 per cent.
- GDP growth: 3.66 per cent (2024); 1980s mean -0.82 per cent.
Iran GNI per capita by decade: first and last values, growth, and mean
| Decade | First year value (USD) | Last year value (USD) | Growth (%) | Mean (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2,080 | 2,440 | 17.3 | 2,861 |
| 1990s | 2,450 | 1,730 | -29.4 | 1,823 |
| 2000s | 1,750 | 5,260 | 200.6 | 3,027 |
| 2010s | 5,910 | 4,710 | -20.3 | 6,051 |
| 2020s | 3,980 | 5,130 | 28.9 | 4,536 |
How Iran compares with peers and what the figure does not capture
Regional standing on the headline measure
Iran's GDP per capita reached USD 5,000 in 2024, up from USD 2,848 in 2020, a 75.6 per cent rise across five years. On the PPP measure the figure is USD 20,456 for 2024, against USD 15,451 in 2020, a 32.4 per cent increase. The gap between the two series, roughly fourfold, reflects the difference between market exchange rates and purchasing power. On the market-rate measure Iran sits below most Gulf Cooperation Council economies, where per-capita output is measured in the tens of thousands of dollars, and closer to the upper-middle-income band occupied by Turkey and Iraq. The PPP figure narrows but does not close that distance.
What the headline figure omits
GDP per capita divides total output by population and says nothing about how that output is distributed. Iran's GNI per capita was USD 5,130 in 2024, marginally above the GDP figure of USD 5,000, a difference of about 2.6 per cent. The near-parity indicates that net factor income from abroad is small, but it does not reveal the domestic distribution. Sanctions exposure, subsidy regimes and exchange-rate controls all shape measured output without mapping proportionally onto household income. A single average can rise while median consumption falls, particularly where inflation and currency depreciation are severe.
Volatility across the decades
The series is unusually volatile. GDP per capita fell 53.1 per cent across the 1990s, from USD 7,575 to USD 3,555, then rose 42.2 per cent across the 2000s to USD 6,185. The 2010s reversed again with a 51.0 per cent decline to USD 3,516. The PPP series is smoother: it grew 57.4 per cent across the 2000s and fell 13.1 per cent across the 2010s. The divergence between the two series in the 2010s reflects exchange-rate movements rather than output collapse alone, since GDP growth averaged 1.3 per cent over that decade.
Comparability and measurement caveats
- US dollar figures are sensitive to official exchange rates, which in Iran diverge from parallel rates.
- Oil price cycles move nominal GDP independently of production volumes; GDP growth was 3.66 per cent in 2024 against a 2020s mean of 4.38 per cent.
- GNI per capita rose 200.6 per cent across the 2000s but fell 20.3 per cent across the 2010s, tracking the GDP pattern.
- Population growth dilutes per-capita gains even where aggregate GDP expands; GDP rose 81.9 per cent across the 2020s to USD 446 billion.
Cross-country comparisons should therefore use the PPP series where possible and treat single-year market-rate figures as indicative rather than definitive. The 2024 value of USD 5,000 sits within a 2020s range of USD 2,848 to USD 5,000, a spread of 75.6 per cent within five observations, which alone signals the limits of any single data point.
Iran GDP per capita and GNI per capita, selected years
| Year | GDP per capita (USD) | GNI per capita (USD) | Difference (GDP - GNI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 7,181 | 5,910 | 1,271 |
| 2015 | 4,864 | 5,430 | -566 |
| 2020 | 2,848 | 3,980 | -1,132 |
| 2024 | 5,000 | 5,130 | -130 |
Frequently asked questions
What is Iran's GDP per capita in current US dollars?
Iran's GDP per capita in current US dollars was approximately $4,500 in 2023, according to IMF estimates, down from a peak of about $8,000 in 2011. The fall reflects both exchange-rate depreciation and sanctions-related constraints on oil exports. In purchasing-power-parity terms the figure is far higher, at roughly $17,000, because domestic price levels are well below those of advanced economies. The gap between the two measures, above $12,000 per head, is among the widest in the region and reflects the divergence between nominal dollar income and domestic purchasing power under a managed exchange rate.
Why did Iran's GDP per capita fall sharply after 2011?
Iran's GDP per capita in current dollars fell from about $8,000 in 2011 to roughly $4,500 by 2023, a decline of more than 40 per cent. Two forces dominate. First, oil exports dropped from around 2.5 million barrels per day in 2011 to under 1 million barrels per day in several years after 2018, following the withdrawal of the United States from the nuclear agreement and the reimposition of sanctions. Second, the rial depreciated from roughly 10,000 per dollar in 2011 to over 500,000 per dollar on the open market by 2024. Dollar-denominated income therefore shrank even where real domestic output was broadly stable.
Is Iran's GDP per capita growing in real terms?
Real GDP per capita in Iran has been broadly flat to modestly positive since 2020. The economy contracted by about 6 per cent in 2018 and 2019 combined, then returned to growth of roughly 3 to 4 per cent annually in the 2021 to 2023 period. Because population grows at around 1 per cent a year, real per capita output has risen only marginally, by an estimated 1 to 2 per cent annually in the best years. The IMF projects medium-term growth near 2 per cent, which implies per capita gains below 1 per cent per year, insufficient to restore the 2011 level within a decade.
How does Iran's GDP per capita compare with other Middle Eastern economies?
Iran's GDP per capita of about $4,500 in current dollars is below the Middle East and North Africa average, which the World Bank puts near $8,000. It is well below Saudi Arabia at roughly $30,000 and the United Arab Emirates at above $45,000, and below neighbouring Turkey at around $13,000. On a purchasing-power-parity basis Iran narrows the gap, at roughly $17,000 against about $40,000 for Saudi Arabia and $45,000 for Turkey. The comparison is distorted by sanctions and by exchange-rate controls that hold the official rate far below market levels, so dollar figures understate domestic output relative to regional peers.
What share of Iran's GDP per capita comes from oil?
Oil and gas account for roughly 15 to 20 per cent of Iran's GDP directly, and a larger share once petrochemicals and energy-linked services are included. Oil exports generated about $40 billion to $50 billion annually in the mid-2010s but fell to an estimated $20 billion to $30 billion in recent years. Because hydrocarbon revenue is concentrated and volatile, per capita income swings with export volumes and prices. Non-oil sectors, including agriculture at about 10 per cent of GDP and services at around 50 per cent, provide the bulk of employment but generate lower value per worker, which caps average income growth.
How is Iran's GDP per capita affected by inflation and the exchange rate?
Iran's inflation rate has run at 40 per cent or higher in most years since 2018, reaching above 50 per cent in 2023. Because GDP per capita in dollars is calculated by converting rial output at the official exchange rate, which has been held well below the market rate, the dollar figure is sensitive to devaluation episodes. The rial lost more than 90 per cent of its value against the dollar between 2011 and 2024. Each adjustment lowers measured dollar income without changing real domestic output. Real per capita GDP, adjusted for inflation, is therefore the more reliable indicator of living standards than the current-dollar series.