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Iran's economy ranking: GDP & GDP per capita, debt

Updated on by Georank team

Iran ranked 37/197 by economy size with a GDP of $437B and 122/197 by GDP per capita at $4,771. Iran has $161B in government debt, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 39.9%.

In 2025, Iran made up 0.39% of the world's economy, compared to 0.31% in 1960.

The chart below shows GDP in nominal terms, GDP adjusted for inflation (in constant dollars), and a bar chart of year-over-year inflation-adjusted growth.

GDP, current $
GDP, constant 2015 $
GDP growth
Year GDP GDP growth
Current $ Constant $
1960 $4,199,134,390 $50,350,548,203 -
1961 $4,426,949,095 $55,582,432,558 5.43%
1962 $4,693,566,416 $59,978,596,071 6.02%
1963 $4,928,628,018 $64,202,333,927 5.01%
1964 $5,379,845,648 $69,643,628,269 9.16%
1965 $6,197,319,929 $81,507,915,873 15.2%
1966 $6,789,938,672 $90,883,288,326 9.56%
1967 $7,555,383,690 $101,110,205,808 11.3%
1968 $8,623,172,960 $115,674,304,557 14.1%
1969 $9,743,089,607 $133,623,091,839 13%
1970 $10,976,245,154 $148,224,891,000 12.7%
1971 $13,731,802,833 $168,534,047,458 25.1%
1972 $17,153,463,263 $192,969,825,710 24.9%
1973 $27,081,698,250 $207,330,025,747 57.9%
1974 $46,209,092,072 $219,357,345,963 70.6%
1975 $51,776,222,350 $218,641,766,675 12%
1976 $68,055,295,081 $258,566,705,735 31.4%
1977 $80,600,122,702 $251,395,157,267 18.4%
1978 $77,994,316,621 $219,113,865,436 -3.23%
1979 $90,391,877,326 $192,774,712,987 15.9%
1980 $94,362,275,580 $151,136,050,943 4.39%
1981 $100,499,312,750 $142,526,151,688 6.5%
1982 $125,948,756,439 $175,551,236,248 25.3%
1983 $156,365,156,618 $195,014,104,732 24.1%
1984 $162,276,728,620 $181,090,389,202 3.78%
1985 $180,183,629,600 $184,472,523,734 11%
1986 $209,094,561,833 $166,422,061,469 16%
1987 $134,009,995,923 $166,135,636,308 -35.9%
1988 $123,057,861,334 $156,031,272,523 -8.17%
1989 $120,496,362,916 $165,599,290,647 -2.08%
1990 $124,813,263,926 $188,112,392,401 3.58%
1991 $131,637,664,958 $212,033,043,459 5.47%
1992 $119,768,691,217 $219,025,854,895 -9.02%
1993 $63,743,623,231 $215,803,959,419 -46.8%
1994 $71,841,461,172 $212,138,990,732 12.7%
1995 $96,419,225,745 $217,232,542,412 34.2%
1996 $120,403,931,883 $231,027,951,541 24.9%
1997 $113,919,163,421 $234,147,751,321 -5.39%
1998 $110,276,913,362 $239,018,052,132 -3.2%
1999 $113,848,450,089 $243,804,857,658 3.24%
2000 $109,591,707,801 $258,056,537,600 -3.74%
2001 $126,878,750,296 $264,229,695,673 15.8%
2002 $128,626,917,504 $285,576,361,692 1.38%
2003 $151,911,222,120 $310,248,155,726 18.1%
2004 $187,754,571,247 $323,702,581,959 23.6%
2005 $224,970,371,329 $334,028,060,130 19.8%
2006 $265,602,187,406 $350,728,779,278 18.1%
2007 $349,736,591,836 $379,333,424,180 31.7%
2008 $406,070,949,551 $380,285,006,931 16.1%
2009 $414,059,094,950 $384,115,942,808 1.97%
2010 $487,069,570,461 $406,386,748,156 17.6%
2011 $629,082,257,472 $417,138,595,177 29.2%
2012 $644,019,315,004 $401,507,697,046 2.37%
2013 $500,399,839,840 $395,396,833,391 -22.3%
2014 $462,284,793,281 $415,106,476,158 -7.62%
2015 $409,191,686,497 $409,191,686,497 -11.5%
2016 $459,042,684,193 $445,262,288,195 12.2%
2017 $489,168,731,811 $457,544,871,773 6.56%
2018 $398,880,231,367 $449,135,162,389 -18.5%
2019 $333,519,146,339 $435,344,072,057 -16.4%
2020 $262,186,179,356 $449,842,285,446 -21.4%
2021 $383,436,202,447 $471,073,841,462 46.2%
2022 $394,362,621,793 $488,864,564,083 2.85%
2023 $404,625,655,076 $513,527,244,544 2.6%
2024 $436,906,331,672 $529,138,474,367 7.98%

Economic Statistics of Iran

Iran Rank
Gross domestic product
$437B
2024
37/197
GDP growth
7.98%
2023-2024
64/196
GDP per capita
$4,771
2024
122/197
GDP per capita, PPP
$18,442
2024
101/197
Government debt
$161B
2024
47/185
Debt-to-GDP ratio
39.9%
2025
135/185
Government debt per person
$1,758
2024
121/185
Average annual personal income after taxes
$2,970
2025
141/197
Listed domestic companies
594
2024
14/103
Market capitalization of domestic companies
$172B
2024
34/100
Income share by richest 10%
28.2%
2023
78/169
Income share by poorest 10%
2.8%
2023
84/169
Government expenditure, % of GDP
15%
2025
185/195
Consumer prices inflation
32.5%
2023-2024
10/195
Central bank interest rate
23%
2023
9/105
Unemployment rate
8.13%
2023
55/196
Population
93020793
17/197

Iran's GDP per capita

Iran has a GDP per capita of $4,771, ranking 122/197, a GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of $18,442, ranking 101/197, and a median annual after tax income of $2,970, ranking 141/197.

GDP per capita
GDP per capita, PPP
Year Current $
GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP
1960 $195.6 -
1961 $200.1 -
1962 $205.8 -
1963 $209.6 -
1964 $221.7 -
1965 $247.5 -
1966 $262.9 -
1967 $283.7 -
1968 $314 -
1969 $345 -
1970 $377 -
1971 $457 -
1972 $555 -
1973 $851 -
1974 $1,409 -
1975 $1,532 -
1976 $1,954 -
1977 $2,243 -
1978 $2,101 -
1979 $2,352 -
1980 $2,368 -
1981 $2,393 -
1982 $2,845 -
1983 $3,397 -
1984 $3,395 -
1985 $3,634 -
1986 $4,064 -
1987 $2,513 -
1988 $2,234 -
1989 $2,125 -
1990 $2,138 $7,256
1991 $2,194 $8,229
1992 $1,957 $8,524
1993 $1,038 $8,567
1994 $1,168 $8,585
1995 $1,550 $8,877
1996 $1,915 $9,510
1997 $1,790 $9,688
1998 $1,709 $9,864
1999 $1,740 $10,060
2000 $1,650 $10,729
2001 $1,881 $11,061
2002 $1,891 $12,041
2003 $2,209 $13,192
2004 $2,672 $13,835
2005 $3,132 $14,402
2006 $3,619 $15,256
2007 $4,688 $16,673
2008 $5,377 $16,831
2009 $5,416 $16,894
2010 $6,291 $17,866
2011 $8,026 $18,487
2012 $8,114 $16,325
2013 $6,223 $15,552
2014 $5,672 $15,408
2015 $4,953 $13,690
2016 $5,477 $14,573
2017 $5,753 $15,070
2018 $4,632 $14,840
2019 $3,831 $13,348
2020 $2,989 $14,110
2021 $4,335 $14,952
2022 $4,405 $16,424
2023 $4,466 $17,660
2024 $4,771 $18,442

Iran's government spending, deficit, and chart

This chart shows Iran's government spending, budget balance, and debt over time, each expressed as a share of GDP.

Over the past 50 years, Iran recorded a fiscal deficit in 48 years — average annual deficit equal to -3.69% of GDP. In 2024, government spending reached $64.6B (15% of GDP), with a deficit of -5.47%.

The national debt reached $161B, ranking 47th out of 185 countries by total size, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 39.9%, ranking 135th.

Government spending
Government debt
Deficit/surplus
Year % of GDP
Government spending Government debt Government deficit/surplus
1962 15.6% 13.4% -1.39%
1963 14.8% 12.4% 0.26%
1964 15.4% 15.2% -0.04%
1965 16.3% 14.9% -1.23%
1966 20.5% - -2.63%
1967 22.3% - -4%
1968 23.6% - -4.57%
1969 - - -4.57%
1970 - 14.1% -4.57%
1971 - 14.2% -4.57%
1972 - 12.7% -4.57%
1973 - 12.8% -4.57%
1974 - 6.68% -4.57%
1975 - 8.81% -4.57%
1976 - 6.92% -4.57%
1977 - 9.23% -4.57%
1978 - - -4.57%
1979 - - -4.57%
1980 35.8% 35.5% -14.2%
1981 33.7% 47.6% -10.7%
1982 29.7% 47.7% -5.55%
1983 27.5% 35.7% -6.15%
1984 23.7% 10% -4.02%
1985 21.6% 8.73% -3.74%
1986 19% 47.4% -7.84%
1987 18.6% 48.6% -6.84%
1988 23.6% 53.2% -10.3%
1989 20% 48.8% -4.45%
1990 20% 37% -2.11%
1991 17.1% 29.3% -2.01%
1992 17.6% 25.2% -1.05%
1993 33.2% 25.6% -6.28%
1994 28.1% 41.7% -4.1%
1995 25.6% 31.2% -3.21%
1996 21.1% 35.8% -0.91%
1997 21.2% 37.7% -2.21%
1998 20.6% 36.2% -6.14%
1999 19.2% 27.1% -0.62%
2000 16.3% 22.2% 6.61%
2001 16.6% 25.6% 0.02%
2002 19.1% 28.5% -3.52%
2003 19.1% 26.8% -3.36%
2004 18.4% 25.7% -2.98%
2005 21.7% 22.2% -2.95%
2006 22.4% 18.2% -5.88%
2007 17% 16.1% -2.87%
2008 19.7% 12.4% -5.14%
2009 18.1% 13.3% -3.82%
2010 16.3% 14.8% -0.97%
2011 16.9% 12.3% -0.76%
2012 13.2% 13.6% -0.58%
2013 13.3% 11.8% -0.83%
2014 14.2% 12.6% -1.05%
2015 16.3% 37% -1.5%
2016 17% 47.9% -1.77%
2017 17.1% 45% -1.61%
2018 15.3% 42.9% -1.64%
2019 14.1% 46.6% -4.48%
2020 13% 48.3% -5.22%
2021 14.2% 42.4% -3.2%
2022 13.8% 36.9% -2.83%
2023 14.8% 33.5% -3.82%
2024 14.8% 36.8% -4.11%
2025 15% 39.9% -5.47%

Inflation rate by year

Over the past 20 years, Iran has had an average annual inflation rate of 23.8%. In 2024, inflation was 32.5%. The bar chart below shows consumer price inflation by year.

Year Inflation
1960 9.82%
1961 3.16%
1962 0.72%
1963 0.37%
1964 3.81%
1965 2.15%
1966 -0.39%
1967 1.6%
1968 0.69%
1969 3.59%
1970 1.67%
1971 4.2%
1972 6.4%
1973 9.82%
1974 14.2%
1975 12.9%
1976 11.3%
1977 27.3%
1978 11.7%
1979 10.5%
1980 20.6%
1981 24.2%
1982 18.7%
1983 19.7%
1984 12.5%
1985 4.39%
1986 18.4%
1987 28.6%
1988 28.7%
1989 22.3%
1990 7.63%
1991 17.1%
1992 25.8%
1993 21.2%
1994 31.4%
1995 49.7%
1996 28.9%
1997 17.3%
1998 17.9%
1999 20.1%
2000 14.5%
2001 11.3%
2002 14.3%
2003 16.5%
2004 14.8%
2005 13.4%
2006 10%
2007 17.3%
2008 25.4%
2009 13.6%
2010 10.1%
2011 26.3%
2012 27.3%
2013 36.6%
2014 16.6%
2015 12.5%
2016 7.25%
2017 8.04%
2018 18%
2019 39.9%
2020 30.6%
2021 43.4%
2022 43.5%
2023 44.6%
2024 32.5%

Balance of trade

Iran Rank
Current account balance
$12.5B
2000
23/189
Current account balance, % of GDP
+11.4%
2000
16/189
Goods imports
$15.2B
2000
92/188
Goods exports
$28.3B
2000
69/188
Service imports
$2.3B
2000
115/188
Service exports
$1.38B
2000
118/188
Imports of goods and services, % of GDP
26.8%
2024
145/180
Exports of goods and services, % of GDP
22.9%
2024
136/193

Iran's top 10 trading partners

Iran's biggest trading partner accounting for 35.2%% of all exports and imports is China, with a trade balance between the two of +$9.96B — Iran exports $28.3B worth of goods and services to China and imports $18.3B.

Below is the list of the top 10 trade partners of Iran.

Rank Country Trade value Share of total trade Export to Import from Top export to Top import from
1 China $46.6B 35.2% $28.3B $18.3B Raw materials & minerals Machinery & equipment
2 UAE $26.7B 20.1% $6.09B $20.6B Raw materials & minerals Machinery & equipment
3 Turkey $14B 10.5% $7.07B $6.9B Raw materials & minerals Machinery & equipment
4 Iraq $12.5B 9.45% $12B $490M Raw materials & minerals Precious metals & jewellery
5 India $4.54B 3.43% $2.38B $2.17B Raw materials & minerals Raw agricultural goods
6 Russia $2.76B 2.08% $910M $1.85B Raw agricultural goods Raw agricultural goods
7 Pakistan $2.61B 1.97% $1.97B $636M Raw materials & minerals Raw agricultural goods
8 Germany $2.46B 1.85% $170M $2.29B Raw agricultural goods Machinery & equipment
9 Oman $2.19B 1.65% $1.23B $956M Metals Raw agricultural goods
10 Afghanistan $1.8B 1.36% $1.76B $35.7M Raw materials & minerals Raw agricultural goods

Iran's top 10 exports

Iran Rank
Raw materials & minerals $76.2B 17/193
Metals $9.77B 34/192
Chemicals & pharma $9.29B 36/193
Transport & tourism services $6.71B 56/188
Raw agricultural goods $3.64B 37/193
Textiles & consumer goods $1.64B 65/193
Animal & marine products $1.31B 48/192
Machinery & equipment $1.28B 80/193
Processed food, beverages & tobacco $1.12B 75/192
Business & finance services $649M 83/188

Iran's top 10 imports

Iran Rank
Machinery & equipment $21.9B 49/193
Transport & tourism services $12.2B 45/188
Raw agricultural goods $11.5B 18/193
Chemicals & pharma $7.51B 50/193
Miscellaneous $5.31B 19/193
Processed food, beverages & tobacco $4.87B 41/193
Raw materials & minerals $3.88B 83/193
Metals $3.63B 59/193
Textiles & consumer goods $2.77B 67/193
Wood & paper products $2.09B 40/193

Economic freedom indices

Iran Rank
Economic freedom 42.5 185/197
Property rights 23.3 157/182
Government integrity 16.3 157/182
Judicial effectiveness 18.6 157/182
Tax burden 81.3 77/181
Government spending 94 10/180
Fiscal health 84.1 60/181
Business freedom 38.4 158/182
Labor freedom 43.6 166/182
Monetary freedom 39 172/180
Trade freedom 55.8 162/181
Investment freedom 5 175/181
Financial freedom 10 176/181

Iran's economic freedom by year

Iran is ranked 171/180 for economic freedom with a score of 42.5, compared to 135/163 and a score of 50.5 in 2005.

Economic freedom
Judicial effectiveness
Tax burden
Government spending
Fiscal health
Year Index
Economic freedom Judicial effectiveness Tax burden Government spending Fiscal health
1996 36.1 - 41.5 92.1 -
1997 34.5 - 41.5 85.1 -
1998 36 - 41.5 84.8 -
1999 36.8 - 41.4 84 -
2000 36.1 - 41.3 79.7 -
2001 35.9 - 41.3 82.7 -
2002 36.4 - 40.9 79.7 -
2003 43.2 - 64.2 89.6 -
2004 42.8 - 64.2 80.2 -
2005 50.5 - 81.2 88 -
2006 45 - 81.2 85.1 -
2007 45 - 81.2 84.5 -
2008 45 - 81.1 84.5 -
2009 44.6 - 81 79.7 -
2010 43.4 - 81.1 79.6 -
2011 42.1 - 81.1 76 -
2012 42.3 - 80.6 76.9 -
2013 43.2 - 80.8 80.5 -
2014 40.3 - 80.6 85.9 -
2015 41.8 - 81.2 93 -
2016 43.5 - 81.2 93.2 -
2017 50.5 36 81.1 92.7 94.9
2018 50.9 35.3 81 91.1 91.7
2019 51.1 41.3 80.9 89.8 89.5
2020 49.2 37.1 81 89.2 86.5
2021 47.2 28.3 80.8 90.1 82.8
2022 42.4 29.4 80.8 92.5 54.7
2023 42.2 19.6 81.1 94.8 58.8
2024 41.2 18.8 81.1 95.3 62.5
2025 42.5 18.6 81.3 94 84.1

More economic indicators

Iran Rank
Services, % of GDP
47.9%
2024
144/191
Industry, % of GDP
36.4%
2024
34/194
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP
13%
2024
60/193
GNI, Atlas method
$426B
2024
36/194
GNI per capita, PPP
$18,420
2024
94/191
Total reserves including gold
$7.69B
1982
85/177
Net foreign direct investment
-$39M
2000
60/188
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
$1.45B
2024
82/193
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
$89.4M
2024
89/187
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
0.09%
2023
119/119
Poverty at national poverty lines
18.7%
2020
111/176
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
40%
2024
6/176

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The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.

Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.

A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.

Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.

Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.