Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Demographic Transition in Iran: Changes and Challenges

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Population Dynamics in Muslim Countries

Abstract

Iran has experienced remarkable demographic changes over the last three decades. After a major political shift from a monarchy to an Islamic Republic in 1979, the new government took a pronatalist ideology which resulted in the suspension of family planning programs and encouragement of early marriage and high fertility. However, the high fertility regime was short lived, and the government reversed population policies and programs in favor of fertility control in late 1980s. Rural development, advancement of education particularly for girls, and nationwide health network system providing free primary health care and family planning services accelerated fertility decline in all provinces as well as in the rural areas. Total fertility rate fell from around 7.0 births per woman in the early 1980s to the replacement level in 2000, and to the below replacement level by mid-2000s. These fertility changes have led to a population with a young age structure which in combination with the expansion of education created the so called ‘demographic window’ for the country. While potentially this ‘golden opportunity’ can result in economic prosperity, the current economic and political situation may hinder the positive prospects in the foreseeable future. Further fertility decline is projected for Iran, and the dynamics of current population calls for the revision of population policies and plans in the country.

Assistance from Dr. Rasoul Sadeghi on an earlier version of this paper is gratefully acknowledged.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Intrauterine device.

  2. 2.

    It is an injectable contraceptive containing the synthetic hormone progestin in the form of depot medroxy-progesterone acetate (DMPA).

References

  • Abbasi-Shavazi, M. J., & McDonald, P. (2006). The fertility decline in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1972–2000. Asian Population Studies, 2(3), 217–237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abbasi-Shavazi, M. J., & McDonald, P. (2008). Family change in Iran: Religion, revolution and the state. In R. Jayakody, A. Thornton, & W. Axinn (Eds.), International family change: Ideational perspectives (pp. 177–198). New York: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Abbasi-Shavazi, M. J., Hosseini-Chavoshi, M., & McDonald, P. (2007). The path to below-replacement fertility in Iran. Asia-Pacific Population Journal, 22(2), 91–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Abbasi-Shavazi, M. J., McDonald, P., & Hosseini-Chavoshi, M. (2009). The fertility transition in Iran: Revolution and reproduction. Dordrecht: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Abdollahyan, H. (2004). The generations gap in contemporary Iran. Journal of Welt Trends, 44, 78–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aghajanian, A. (1995). A new direction in population policy and family planning in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Asia-Pacific Population Journal, 10(1), 3–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aghajanian, A. (1998). Family and family change in Iran. In C. B. Hennon & T. H. Brubaker (Eds.), Diversity in families: A global perspective. New York: Wadsworth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Amani, M. (1970). Births and fertility in Iran. Journal of Population, 13–14, 71–83 [Persian].

    Google Scholar 

  • Amani, M. (1996). A historical outlook on the trends in births and death rates and a study of the stages of demographic transition in Iran. Journal of Population, 13–14, 71–83 [Persian].

    Google Scholar 

  • Bharier, J. (1968). A note on the population of Iran: 1900–1966. Population Studies, 22(2), 273–279.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hosseini-Chavoshi, M. (2007). Fertility regulation in Iran: An analysis of trends, levels and correlates. Ph.D. thesis, Australian National University, Canberra.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hosseini-Chavoshi, M., McDonald, P., & Abbasi-Shavazi, M. J. (2006). The Iranian fertility decline, 1981–1999: An application of the synthetic parity progression ratio method. Population, 61(5–6), 701–718.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khosravi, A., Taylor, R., Naghavi, M., & Lopez, A. (2007). Mortality in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1964 -2004. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 85(8), 607--614.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knodel, J., Gray, R. S., Sriwatcharin, P., & Peracca, S. (1999). Religion and reproduction: Muslims in Buddhist Thailand. Population Studies, 53, 149–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahmoudian, H. (2006). Socio-demographic factors affecting women’s labour force participation in Iran. Critique: Critical Middle Eastern Studies, 15(3), 233–248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maroufi Bozorgi, N., (1967). Population projections for Iran, 1956–1976. Proceedings of the World Population Conference, Belgrade, 30 August–10 September 1965, Vol. 3. Selected papers and summaries: Projections, measurement of population trends. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, New York, pp. 19–22

    Google Scholar 

  • McDonald, P. (1994). Families in developing countries: Idealized morality and theories of family change. In L. J. Cho & M. Yada (Eds.), Tradition and change in the Asian Family (pp. 19–28). Honolulu: East-West Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mehryar, A. H., Delavar, B., Farjadi, G. A., Hosseini-Chavoshi, M., Naghavi, M., & Tabibian, M. (2001). Iranian miracle: How to raise contraceptive prevalence rate to above 70 percent and cut TFR by two-thirds in less than a decade? Paper presented at the 2001 IUSSP World Congress, Brazil.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mirzaie, M. (2005). Swings in fertility limitations in Iran. Critique: Critical Middle Eastern Studies, 14(1), 25–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nassehi-Behnam, V. (1985). Change and the Iranian family. Current Anthropology, 26(5), 557–562.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Omran, A. R. (1992). Family planning in the legacy of Islam. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sadeghi, R., & Farjadi, G. (2009). Demographic window: A golden opportunity for economic development in Iran [Persian]. Conference Proceedings on Population, Planning, and Sustainable Development (pp. 305–337). Tehran: Population Studies and Research in Asia & Pacific Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salehi-Isfahani, Dj., & Egel, D. (2007). Youth exclusion in Iran: The state of education, employment and family formation, Middle East Youth Initiative Working Paper, Wolfensohn Center for Development, Dubai School of Government

    Google Scholar 

  • Saraie, H. (1997). The first phase of demographic transition in Iran. Journal of Social Sciences, 9–10, 51–67 [Persian].

    Google Scholar 

  • Saroukhani, B. (1997). Divorce: A study on the reality and its causes. Tehran: Tehran University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Statistical Center of Iran. (2003). Level and trend of child mortality in Iran during 1956–2010, Tehran [Persian].

    Google Scholar 

  • Statistical Center of Iran. (2011). Results of population and housing censuses of Iran during 1956–2006 published in Statistical Year Books. Available at http://amar.sci.org.ir/index_e.aspx

  • United Nations (UN), Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2011). World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision, CD-ROM Edition.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zanjani, H. (2007). Urbanization in Iran, research report, UNFPA Project on Population and Development, Department of Demography, University of Tehran [Persian].

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

Some portions of this chapter draw upon previous unpublished report supported by the UNFPA-Tehran.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute, Australian National University, Acton, Australia

    Meimanat Hosseini-Chavoshi (Research Fellow) & Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi (Professor, Future Fellow)

  2. Demography Department, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi (Professor, Future Fellow)

Authors
  1. Meimanat Hosseini-Chavoshi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Meimanat Hosseini-Chavoshi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. (World Demographic & Ageing Forum), Chairman of the Board, WDA Forum, Kornhausstrasse 18, St. Gallen, 9001, Switzerland

    Hans Groth

  2. Fruwirthstr. 48, Stuttgart, 70599, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

    Alfonso Sousa-Poza

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Hosseini-Chavoshi, M., Abbasi-Shavazi, M.J. (2012). Demographic Transition in Iran: Changes and Challenges. In: Groth, H., Sousa-Poza, A. (eds) Population Dynamics in Muslim Countries. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27881-5_7

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation