As for many developing countries, health issues in Iran stem from a variety of reasons: namely, water and sanitation, diet and fitness, various addictions, mental fitness, communicable diseases, hygiene and the environment.
The Human Rights Measurement Initiative finds that Iran is fulfilling 88.6% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to health based on its level of income. When looking at the right to health with respect to children, Iran achieves 96.5% of what is expected based on its current income. In regard to the right to health amongst the adult population, the country achieves 98.8% of what is expected based on the nation's level of income. Iran falls into the "very bad" category when evaluating the right to reproductive health because the nation is fulfilling only 70.6% of what the nation is expected to achieve based on the resources (income) it has available.
Health care system
Family planning The Islamic Republic of Iran has a comprehensive and effective program of family planning. While Iran's population grew at a rate of more than 3% per year between 1956 and 1986, the growth rate began to decline in the late 1980s and early 1990s after the government initiated a major population control program. By 2007 the growth rate had declined to 0.7 percent per year, with a birth rate of 17 per 1,000 persons and a death rate of 6 per 1,000. Reports by the UN show birth control policies in Iran to be effective with the country topping the list of greatest fertility decreases. UN's Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs says that between 1975 and 1980, the total fertility number was 6.5. The projected level for Iran's 2005 to 2010 birth rate is fewer than two. As at 2012, more than half of Iran's population is under 35 years old. Authorities are now slashing its birth-control programs in an attempt to avoid an aging demographic similar to many Western countries that are struggling to keep up with state medical and social security costs. One fifth of all couples are infertile.
Social health and women empowerment In 2018, Iran was ranked 142 out of 149 for Global Gender Gap Index (GGI score: 0.589). As the women in many parts of the world, the gender gap in Iran is evident in all sub-indices including economic participation and opportunity (rank: 143; score: 0.376), political empowerment (rank: 141; score: 0.046), educational attempt (rank: 103; score: 0.969) and health and survival (rank: 127; score 0.966).
+ Iran's Global Gender Gap index (GGI) between 2006-2018 Year Gender gap ranking GGI 2018 142 0.5890 2017 140 0.5830 2016 139 0.5875 2015 141 0.5800 2014 137 0.5811 2013 130 0.5842 2012 127 0.5927 2011 125 0.5894 2010 123 0.5933 2009 128 0.5839 2008 116 0.6021 2007 118 0.5903 2006 108 0.5803
Child marriage It is estimated that 17% of Iranian girls under age of 18 are married. However, thousands of such marriages are not officially registered. Child marriage in Iran is mainly driven by gender inequality, religion, poverty and traditional costume. In line with target 5.3 of Sustainable Development Goals, Iran has made a commitment to eliminate child marriage by 2030.
Health status Healthcare in Iran (Source: EIU) 2005 2006 2007 2008 est. 2009 est. 2010 est. Life expectancy, average (years) 70.0 70.3 70.6 70.9 71.1 71.4 Healthcare spending (% of GDP) 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.2 Healthcare spending ($ per head) 113 132 150 191 223 261
Fertility rate United Nations and World Bank Group reported a fertility rate from around 7.5 births per woman in the 1960s - 1970s to just under 2 births per woman around 2000. Then it dropped well below replacement level to around 1.7–1.8 births per woman in the 2010s - 2020s WBG's global comparison of the 1980–2006 period say that Iran’s fertility rate drop is one of the fastest documented among countries. WHO and independent studies of long term trends found that higher rates of contraceptive use accounted for about 60% of the reduction in fertility. Lower marriage rates were self reported in about 30% of respondents. Economic factors, such as unemployment and housing, are consistently self reported as the main deterrents from starting a family or choosing to have a larger family size.
Life Expectancy According to WHO data published in 2018, life expectancy at birth in Iran is 76.9 years for women and 74.6 for men, which is above global average: 74 years for female and 70 years for males. The leading cause of death in Iranian women is non-communicable diseases, mainly cardiovascular diseases (179 per 100,000 deaths). This can partly be due to their lack of physical activity. According to National Surveillance of Risk Factors of Non-Communicable Diseases in Iran (SuRFNCD -2007), 35% of the Iranian population of which 46% are women had a sedentary life style. In general, Iranian women have three times less physical activity than men.
Maternal mortality rate
In 1975, maternal mortality ratio (MMR; number of maternal deaths per 100 000 livebirths) in Iran was 274, however, by year 2015, it dropped to 25 by 2015, which is comparable with developed countries. Millennium Development Goal 5 (MDG5) suggested 5.5% reduction per year in MMR. Iran is one of the countries, which was able to achieve the goal of MDG5 with reduction of 75% by the year 2015. The main cause of maternal mortality among Iranian women is obstetric hemorrhage (30.7%) followed by hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium (17%). Maternal mortality occurs more frequent in rural and nomadic areas of Iran. It is estimated that 90% of these mothers had poor economic status when compared to the middle or high-class groups.
Infant mortality rate World Bank Group based FRED data show 10.3 deaths per 1,000 births in 2024 in Iran, and that infant mortality has steadily declined since 1970 when the rate was 144.4 deaths per 1,000 births.
Health conditions and risk factors
According to Ministry of Health and Medical Education, in 2003, 41% of total deaths were due to diseases of the circulatory system. Myocardial infarction as the cause of 25% of deaths was the leading cause of mortality among the population.
Addiction is the fourth major cause of death in Iran following road accidents, heart disease and depression.
Communicable diseases Immunization of children is accessible to most of the urban and rural population.
Cholera
Cholera has been a persistent problem in Iran. In the 2005 epidemic which involved loss of lives, state television warned people not to eat vegetables or buy ice blocks on the streets. Salads were also banned in some restaurants. The 1998 epidemic involved considerably more cases and loss of life.
HIV & STIs
HIV/AIDS Increased drug use has driven up the incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In 2005 two-thirds of the official total of 9,800 HIV cases were attributed to drug use. Iran has established a national HIV treatment system, including 150 testing sites and a free needle exchange program.
According to the United Nations, AIDS has been increasing in Iran at a rapid rate. The major factor fuelling the epidemic until now has been injecting drug use, while there is an increase in sexual transmission of the disease. An estimated 14% of people who inject drugs countrywide were living with HIV in 2007. In 2009, men account for 93 percent of the HIV patients, and women comprise 7 percent of the infected population.
The rate of the epidemic in Iran is however still very low compared to international standards. Iran has a low prevalence of HIV infections with a rate of about 0.16 percent of the adult population (18,000 cases, officially) compared with 0.8 percent in North America (2008). But according to the WHO, as of the end of 2009, there are more than 100,000 AIDS sufferers in Iran (approximately 0.135% of the Iranian population).
HIV prevalence among Iranian women By 2018, of the 60,000 adults living with HIV in Iran, 15,000 (25%) are woman. The proportion of women among those infected with HIV-1 has steadily increased from 6% in 2004 to 30% in 2013. Sexual transmission is the main route of HIV-1 infection among Iranian women. It has been suggested that the number of HIV-1 infected individuals are much higher; however, social stigma and discrimination might prevent many Iranians, in particular women, from admitting they are infected.
+ Summary of HIV/AIDS estimates among Iranian women and compared to national statistics Adult and children living with HIV 61,000 (34,000 – 120,000) Women living with HIV 15,000 (8900 – 30,000) Adult and children deaths due to AIDS 2600 (1400 – 5100) Death due to AIDS among women aged 15 and over <500 Adult and children newly infected with HIV 4400 (1100 – 12,000) Women newly infected with HIV 1000 (<500 – 3000) Coverage of adults and children receiving ART (%) 20 (11 – 39) Women aged 15 and over receiving ART (%) 27 (16 – 53) Coverage of pregnant women who receive ARV for PMTCT (%) 81 (41 – >95) Knowledge about HIV prevention among people aged 15–24 (%) 18.27 Knowledge about HIV prevention among women aged 15–24 (%) 16.21
Sexually transmitted infection (STIs)
Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV2) and chlamydia are two of the STIs with high prevalence among Iranian women. Two different studies on female sex workers showed the prevalence of HSV2 to be 9.7% and 18%. In some areas of Iran, the prevalence of chlamydia infection in Iran is higher than global and Eastern Mediterranean Region prevalence. The global estimate for chlamydia among women is reported to be 3.53% and for the Eastern Mediterranean Region is estimated to be 2.15%.
COVID-19
Iran has been among the worst affected countries by the COVID-19 2019-pandemic claiming thousands of lives in the country (2020).
Injuries and risk factors From 2001 to 2010, over 438,000 Iranians have died from "unnatural deaths" such as electric shocks, gas poisoning, and drug intoxication.
Nutrition Forty-five million Iranians face inadequate nutrition according to Iranian officials. Kohgiloyeh and Boyerahmad, Sistan-Baluchistan, Hormozgan, Kerman and Khuzestan as provinces that face malnutrition or food insecurity.
Diet, food ingredients and junk food The soft drinks industry is valued at about $2 billion a year. As of 2008, Iran produces about 3 billion litres of different types of soft drinks to address consumption of 46 litres per capita, and they export more than 12% of its production. Increased awareness with regard to the damages of carbonated drinks and sugar, and high levels of diabetes has created a move towards healthier products.
Food safety and packaging The Codex Commission of Food Stuff, established in 2002 is in charge of setting and developing standards and quality and health regulations, related to the production of and trade in raw agricultural products and food stuffs, in accordance with the different global standards. Tainted meat has been imported according to Iranian authorities. Uncontrolled use of pesticides is also a problem.
Obesity In 1988, Iran was one of the top seven countries with the highest rate of childhood obesity. In 2005, 33.7% of adults were at risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Eight million Iranians already live with this syndrome. In 1995, 24.7% of boys and 26.8% of girls age 6 were overweight.