# Demographics of Tehran

Tehran is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Asia. The city of Tehran (not to be confused with the larger, Tehran Metropolitan) had a population of approximately 8,293,140 in 2011 and the Tehran Province has a 12,183,391 population.

## Population

Tehran's population from the Safavid era up to the present :
| Year | Population | Average growth rate per year(%) | Government |
| 1554 | 1 000 | | Safavid |
| 1626 | 3 000 | 1.4 | Safavid |
| 1797 | 15 000 | 5.2 | Qajar |
| 1807 | 50 000 | 12.03 | Qajar |
| 1812 | 60 000 | 3.6 | Qajar |
| 1834 | 80 000 | 2.8 | Qajar |
| 1867 | 147 256 | 2.9 | Qajar |
| 1930 | 250 000 | 2.4 | Pahlavi |
| 1940 | 540 087 | 6.6 | Pahlavi |
| 1956 | 1 560 934 | 5.5 | Pahlavi |
| 1966 | 2 719 730 | 5.1 | Pahlavi |
| 1976 | 4 530 223 | 2.9 | Pahlavi |
| 1986 | 6 058 207 | 1.3 | Islamic Republic |
| 1991 | 6 497 238 | 0.78 | Islamic Republic |
| 1996 | 6 758 845 | 1.3 | Islamic Republic |
| 2006 | 7 711 230 | | Islamic Republic |
Population of the districts of Tehran :
| District | Year | Year | Year | Year | Average growth rate per year(%) | Average growth rate per year(%) | Average growth rate per year(%) |
| District | 1976 | 1986 | 1996 | 2006 | 1976-1986 | 1986-1996 | 1996-2006 |
| 1 | 182 883 | 216 467 | 249 676 | 375 881 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 4.1 |
| 2 | 220 545 | 269 482 | 458 089 | 607 003 | 3.3 | 5.3 | 2.8 |
| 3 | 222 007 | 217 084 | 237 301 | 290 272 | -0.4 | 0.9 | 2.0 |
| 4 | 316 904 | 479 512 | 663 166 | 810 548 | 6.9 | 3.2 | 2.0 |
| 5 | 67 199 | 243 824 | 427 995 | 675 633 | 21.5 | 5.6 | 4.6 |
| 6 | 231 683 | 258 838 | 220 231 | 236 252 | 1.8 | -1.6 | 0.7 |
| 7 | 327 032 | 302 217 | 300 212 | 309 938 | -1.3 | -0.1 | 0.3 |
| 8 | 365 516 | 346 474 | 336 474 | 378 544 | -0.9 | -0.3 | 1.2 |
| 9 | 200 867 | 189 805 | 173 482 | 169 988 | -0.9 | -0.9 | -0.2 |
| 10 | 343 551 | 311 104 | 282 308 | 315 225 | -1.7 | -1.0 | 1.1 |
| 11 | 276 712 | 247 927 | 223 965 | 274 650 | -1.8 | -1.0 | 2.0 |
| 12 | 301 701 | 230 657 | 189 625 | 246 874 | -4.5 | -2.0 | 2.6 |
| 13 | 209 600 | 245 447 | 266 700 | 245 312 | 2.6 | 0.8 | -0.8 |
| 14 | 398 858 | 394 111 | 450 160 | 482 682 | -0.2 | 1.3 | 0.7 |
| 15 | 420 561 | 622 517 | 649 370 | 641 344 | 6.5 | 0.4 | -0.1 |
| 16 | 347 535 | 289 474 | 303 410 | 290 348 | -3.0 | 0.5 | -0.4 |
| 17 | 353 428 | 287 367 | 264 300 | 259 857 | -3.4 | -0.8 | -0.2 |
| 18 | 211 606 | 296 430 | 298 600 | 316 517 | 5.6 | 0.1 | 0.6 |
| 19 | 140 354 | 216 318 | 227 389 | 245 003 | 7.2 | 0.5 | 0.7 |
| 20 | 255 653 | 356 079 | 379 750 | 323 716 | 5.5 | 0.6 | -1.6 |
| 21 | | 188 890 | 216 970 | 154 427 | | 1.4 | -3.4 |
| 22 | 31 162 | 56 020 | 67 230 | 107 130 | 9.8 | 1.8 | 4.7 |
Population of settlements in Tehran's metropolitan area :
| Settlement | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Average growth rate per year(%) | Average growth rate per year(%) | Average growth rate per year(%) | Average growth rate per year(%) | Average growth rate per year(%) |
| Settlement | 1956 | 1966 | 1976 | 1986 | 1996 | 2006 | 1956-1966 | 1966-1976 | 1976-1986 | 1986-1996 | 1996-2006 |
| Eslamshahr | 481 | 1 006 | 50 292 | 215 129 | 265 450 | 351 171 | 7.4 | 39.1 | 14.5 | 2.1 | 2.8 |
| Eshtehard | 4 542 | 5 149 | 5 074 | 8 095 | 10 274 | 16 988 | 1.3 | -0.1 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 5.0 |
| Pishva | 4 468 | 6 332 | 9 934 | 17 283 | 29 884 | 41 480 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 3.3 |
| Damavand | 4 523 | 5 391 | 9 902 | 15 309 | 22 337 | 36 443 | 1.8 | 6.1 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 4.9 |
| Robat Karim | 2 238 | 3 147 | 47 663 | 17 903 | 26 656 | 62 937 | 3.0 | 27.2 | -9.8 | 4.0 | 8.6 |
| Rudehen | 1 161 | 1 643 | 3 083 | 6 550 | 11 866 | 19 535 | 4.1 | 5.7 | 7.5 | 5.9 | 5.0 |
| Shahriar | 3 748 | 6 626 | 11 697 | 224 333 | 40 058 | 189 120 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 29.5 | -17.2 | 15.5 |
| Qarchak | 167 | 1 167 | 14 925 | 77 957 | 142 690 | 173 832 | 19.4 | 25.5 | 16.5 | 6.0 | 2.0 |
| Karaj | 14 526 | 44 243 | 137 926 | 275 100 | 940 968 | 1 377 450 | 11.1 | 11.4 | 6.9 | 12.3 | 3.8 |
| Nazarabad | 799 | 2 881 | 9 889 | 21 660 | 69 342 | 97 684 | 12.8 | 12.3 | 7.8 | 11.6 | 3.4 |
| Varamin | 5 205 | 11 183 | 25 792 | 58 311 | 107 233 | 208 569 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 8.2 | 6.1 | 6.7 |
| Hashtgerd | 1 078 | 1 828 | 5 628 | 16 761 | 33 568 | 45 332 | 5.3 | 11.2 | 10.9 | 6.9 | 3.0 |
| Bumahen | | | | | 1 166 | 43 004 | | | | | 36.1 |
| Pardis | | | | | | 25 360 | | | | | |
| Hasanabad | 594 | 463 | 1 974 | 1 211 | 11 178 | 20 451 | -2.5 | 14.5 | -4.9 | 22.2 | 6.0 |
| Lavasan | 1 490 | 1 182 | 7 761 | 6 530 | 10 587 | 15 448 | 7.4 | 39.1 | -1.7 | 4.8 | 3.8 |
| Mahdasht | 1 267 | 2 463 | 5 640 | 17 788 | 28 976 | 43 100 | 1.3 | -0.1 | 11.5 | 4.9 | 4.0 |
| Qods | 994 | 2 467 | 8 406 | 4 802 | 138 278 | 229 534 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 21.9 | 6.1 | 5.1 |
| Malard | 1 369 | 2 596 | 5 970 | 9 160 | 88 118 | 228 673 | 1.8 | 6.1 | 4.3 | 22.6 | 9.5 |
| Pakdasht | 704 | 2 668 | 5 459 | 18 308 | 49 220 | 126 281 | 3.0 | 27.2 | 12.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
Tehran's population as part of Iran's population :
| Year | Percentage |
| 1901 | 1.7 |
| 1911 | 1.8 |
| 1921 | 1.8 |
| 1931 | 2.5 |
| 1941 | 4.6 |
| 1951 | 7 |
| 1956 | 8 |
| 1966 | 10.5 |
| 1976 | 13.4 |
| 1986 | 12.2 |
| 1996 | 11.3 |
| 2006 | 11.07 |

## Ethnic groups
### Persians

According to a 2010 census conducted by the Sociology Department of Tehran University in many districts of Tehran across various socio-economic classes in proportion to the population sizes of each district and socio-economic class, 63% of people in Tehran were born in Tehran, 98% can speak the Persian language, 75% identify themselves as ethnic Persians, and 13% have some degree of proficiency in a European language.

### Azerbaijanis

Azerbaijanis in Tehran also known as Turks in Tehran or Azeris in Tehran are Iranians of Azerbaijani ethnicity. Azerbaijanis comprise 25% of Tehran's population and 20.3% – 25% of Tehran Province's population.

### Mazanderanis

Ethnic Mazanderanis are the third-largest, comprising about 8.2% of the total population.