People:

Population: 65,179,752 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 36% (male 11,963,438; female 11,447,191)

15-64 years: 60% (male 19,549,935; female 19,276,784)

65 years and over: 4% (male 1,561,877; female 1,380,527) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.07% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 20.71 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 5.39 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female

Total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 29.73 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 69.76 years

male: 68.43 years

female: 71.16 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.45 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Iranian(s)

adjective: Iranian

Ethnic groups: Persian 51%, Azerbaijani 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%

Religions: Muslim 99%, other 1%

Languages: Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 72.1%

male: 78.4%

female: 65.8% (1994 est.)

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah) in red is centered in the white band; ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) in white Arabic script is repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along the top edge of the red band

Fiscal year: 21 March-20 March