Iran skyline

Iran Economy

Iran's economy in numbers:

Nominal GDP of USD 346 billion in 2022.

GDP per capita of USD 4,043 compared to the global average of USD 10,589.

Average real GDP growth of 1.5% over the last decade.

Share of the region's population
Share of the region's GDP

Economic structure:

In 2020, services accounted for 51% of overall GDP, manufacturing 20%, other industrial activity 16%, and agriculture 13%. Looking at GDP by expenditure, private consumption accounted for 48% of GDP in 2020, government consumption 14%, fixed investment 32%, and net exports 6%.

GDP by economic sector
GDP by type of expenditure

International trade:

In 2018, manufactured products made up 22% of total merchandise exports, mineral fuels 69%, food 6%, ores and metals 3% and agricultural raw materials 0%, with other categories accounting for 0% of the total. In the same period, manufactured products made up 62% of total merchandise imports, mineral fuels 1%, food 26%, ores and metals 2% and agricultural raw materials 3%, with other goods accounting for 6% of the total. Total exports were worth USD 98 billion in 2022, while total imports were USD 75 billion.

Key exports
Key imports
Key export partners
Key import partners

Economic growth:

The economy recorded average annual growth of 1.5% in the decade to 2022. To read more about GDP growth in Iran, go to our dedicated page.

Fiscal policy:

Iran's fiscal deficit averaged 2.5% of GDP in the decade to 2022. Find out more on our dedicated page.

Unemployment:

The unemployment rate averaged 10.8% in the decade to 2022. For more information on Iran's unemployment click here.

Inflation:

Inflation averaged 25.3% in the decade to 2022. Go to our Iran inflation page for extra insight.

Monetary Policy:

Iran's monetary policy rate ended 2022 at 22.00%, on the same level as a decade earlier. See our Iran monetary policy page for additional details.

Exchange Rate:

From end-2012 to end-2022 the rial weakened by 70.8% vs the U.S. dollar. For more info on the rial, click here.
The economy likely grew at a brisk pace in 2023, chiefly due to a 12.0% year on year rise in oil production. Oil output was buoyed by a softer enforcement of U.S. energy sanctions, which permitted a 46% surge in exports to China, according to tanker tracking data. However, one of the Middle East’s highest inflation rates and ongoing U.S. sanctions on non-energy activity likely weighed on consumer spending and investment, respectively. Moreover, geopolitical risks cast a shadow over the economy moving into 2024. In late January, three U.S. servicemen were killed by an Iran-backed militia in Jordan, while, in recent weeks, Israeli air strikes have hit Iranian military leaders in Syria, and ships in the Red Sea have been targeted by the Iran-allied Houthi paramilitary group. These events make tougher Western sanctions on Iran’s economy and conflict between Iran and the West more likely.
Projections out to 2033.

39 indicators covered including both annual and quarterly frequencies.

Consensus Forecasts based on a panel of 9 expert analysts.

Want to get insight on the economic outlook for Iran in the coming years? FocusEconomics collects projections out to 2033 on 39 economic indicators for Iran from a panel of 9 analysts at the leading national, regional and global forecast institutions. These projections are then validated by our in-house team of economists and data analysts, and averaged to provide one Consensus Forecast you can rely on for each indicator. This means you avoid the risk of relying on out of date, biased or outlier forecasts. Our Consensus Forecasts can be visualized in whichever way best suits your needs, including via interactive online dashboards , direct data delivery and executive-style reports which combine analysts' projections with timely written analysis from our in-house team of economists on the latest developments in the Iran economy. To download a sample report on the Iran's economy, click here . To get in touch with our team for more information, fill in the form at the bottom of this page .

Iran Economic Data

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Population (million) 82.1 83.1 84.0 84.8 85.7
GDP (USD bn) 334 242 196 289 346
GDP per capita (USD) 4,066 2,909 2,327 3,410 4,043
GDP (IRR tn) 14,027 10,156 8,217 12,132 14,553
Economic Growth (Nominal GDP, ann. var. %) -23.7 -27.6 -19.1 47.6 20.0
Economic Growth (GDP, ann. var. %) -1.8 -3.1 3.3 4.7 3.8
Private Consumption (ann. var. %) -1.8 -4.7 0.5 3.9 8.7
Government Consumption (ann. var. %) -2.0 -5.6 -0.9 8.3 -3.6
Fixed Investment (ann. var. %) -15.8 -6.5 3.2 0.0 6.7
Exports (G&S, ann. var. %) -0.4 -20.6 -12.8 5.2 8.2
Imports (G&S, ann. var. %) -27.2 -31.6 -29.7 24.1 7.5
Industry (ann. var. %) -7.8 -11.0 7.8 3.2 7.4
Oil Production (mn barrels per day, aop) 3.55 2.36 1.99 2.40 2.55
Unemployment (% of active population, aop) 12.1 10.7 9.6 9.2 9.0
Fiscal Balance (% of GDP) -1.6 -4.5 -5.8 -4.2 -4.1
Public Debt (% of GDP) 42.9 46.7 48.3 42.4 -
Money (ann. var. of M2 %) 22.1 28.2 38.4 41.4 33.4
Inflation (CPI, ann. var. %, eop) 37.4 27.8 44.8 34.2 45.6
Inflation (CPI, ann. var. %, aop) 18.0 40.0 30.5 43.6 41.9
Exchange Rate (IRR per USD, eop) 42,025 42,026 42,023 42,025 42,026
Exchange Rate (IRR per USD, aop) 40,833 42,025 42,026 42,026 42,024
Current Account Balance (USD bn) 26.2 -1.7 -0.7 11.1 14.2
Current Account Balance (% of GDP) 7.9 -0.7 -0.4 3.9 4.1
Merchandise Trade Balance (USD bn) 30.8 1.9 3.2 15.8 22.2
Merchandise Exports (USD bn) 92.7 60.0 49.8 79.5 97.7
Merchandise Imports (USD bn) 61.8 58.1 46.6 63.6 75.4
Merchandise Exports (ann. var. %) -3.5 -35.3 -16.9 59.4 22.9
Merchandise Imports (ann. var. %) -16.2 -6.1 -19.8 36.5 18.5
Foreign Direct Investment (USD bn) 2.4 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.5
International Reserves (USD bn) 122.5 15.0 13.8 17.7 19.5
International Reserves (months of imports) 23.8 3.1 3.5 3.3 3.1
External Debt (USD bn) 5.8 4.9 5.4 10.3 10.0
External Debt (% of GDP) 1.7 2.0 2.8 3.6 2.9

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