Iran grapples with aging population as growth rate slips to 0.6%
Iran’s population is aging at an accelerating pace, with its growth rate slipping to just 0.6%, according to Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi, Secretary of the National Population Headquarters.
Speaking at a joint session with the Ministry of Education on Monday, Dastjerdi warned that the country is “moving rapidly toward population decline and aging,” IRNA reported.
Dastjerdi emphasized that the education system plays a central role in shaping future generations and has a key part to play in advancing the nation’s pro-natalist policies.
“Fortunately, strong steps have already been taken within the Ministry of Education in line with the Youthful Population Law,” she said.
Iran currently has a youthful demographic under its wing—more than 24 million boys and girls between the ages of 1 and 20 are enrolled across kindergartens and high schools nationwide. “This is a golden window for nurturing growth and development,” Dastjerdi noted.
She stressed that if educators help get the message across about the importance of family and population policies, the long-term impact could be substantial.
Dastjerdi stressed the urgency of the demographic challenge. “While the global population is still rising, two-thirds of the world now live in countries with fertility rates below replacement level,” she said.
In Iran, approximately 10.4% of the population is over the age of 60, and demographic projections show a steady downward trend. With fertility and birth rates falling, concerns are mounting over the socio-economic strains an aging society might bring.
To counteract the declining birth rate, Dastjerdi pointed to several key strategies under consideration, including expanding childcare facilities, offering longer parental leave, and introducing more flexible work arrangements for women. “Supportive policies must catch up with the challenges at hand,” she said.
Education Minister Alireza Kazemi, also present at the meeting, stressed the importance of future-oriented planning. “Alongside cultural and promotional efforts, we must remove the roadblocks to childbearing and support young families with real incentives,” he said.
Among the proposed measures are marriage facilitation programs and financial incentives for childbearing—initiatives that officials hope will turn the tide before the country’s demographic clock runs out.