Iran tracks declining births, launches family support programs
Fewer than one million Iranian women gave birth last year despite over 16 million being of reproductive age, Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi said during a population planning meeting at the Ministry of Health in Tehran.
Raisi was speaking at the fifth session of the National Coordination Council for Population Growth, where officials unveiled a new legal abortion registration system.
He noted that Tehran, Khorasan Razavi, and Sistan-Baluchestan recorded the highest number of births over the past two years. Still, the overall fertility rate remains low, with “60 percent of women of childbearing age now between 35 and 49,” a demographic that signals later motherhood and fewer children.
Iran’s population is aging fast. The country’s median age has climbed to 35. Raisi compared the trend to that of Japan—where 30% of the population is now over 65—calling it “a demographic trap” that’s difficult to escape once entered.
He added that India, by contrast, remains one of the youngest large economies, with an average age of 28.7.
Iran is not alone in tackling declining birth rates. Raisi pointed to similar incentive-based efforts in China. Domestically, the government has ramped up support schemes, including stepped pay increases through 57 universities of medical sciences, a 100% rise in child allowance payments to students, and a 76% boost in married student housing.
Marriage, however, is trending down. The most marriages between 2012 and 2024 occurred in Tehran and Khorasan Razavi. The average age at first marriage stands at 27.5 for women and 32 for men, with the lowest average in Sistan-Baluchestan and the highest in Tehran and Ilam.
Caesarean births are also on the rise. Last year, 56.6% of deliveries were C-sections—peaking at 80% in Gilan, with Abadan showing the lowest rate. Still, maternal and infant mortality rates have dropped, with neonatal deaths now at 8.3 per 1,000 births.
Raisi highlighted the efforts of the Nafas centers—a network of 357 local organizations supporting pregnancy continuance—saying over 15,000 women decided against abortion in the past two years.