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Iran’s Reduction of Underground Water Accelerates
Energy

Iran’s Reduction of Underground Water Accelerates

As the country grapples with water scarcity, the number of legally constructed deep wells has increased by 40%, and semi-deep wells by 1.5 times. However, the wells’ water production has decreased by 15%, Iran Open Data research shows.The Statistical Center of Iran’s yearbook states that the number

Estimating the Income of Iran’s Prisons from the Sale of Ankle Monitors
Budget and Government Spending

Estimating the Income of Iran’s Prisons from the Sale of Ankle Monitors

Despite the fact that prisoners are legally obligated to pay for their own ankle monitors, the Consolidation Commission of the Majlis determined that 500 billion Tomans ($8.1 million, at an exchange rate of 61,300 Tomans/$1) of public funds will be allocated to the bureau of prisons for their procur

Iran’s Historical Inflation Problem is a Regional Anomaly
Banking and Finance

Iran’s Historical Inflation Problem is a Regional Anomaly

Iran's runaway inflation is a rarity in global terms, especially when placed side-by-side with the economies of its regional neighbors. Since 1990, average prices in Saudi Arabia have increased by 55%, in Israel by 56%, in the Republic of Azerbaijan by 312%, and in Egypt by 897%. Meanwhile, the cumu

‘Quranic Institutions’ Proliferate 18-Fold Within a Decade
Art and Culture and Tourism

‘Quranic Institutions’ Proliferate 18-Fold Within a Decade

Iran’s number of “cultural and Quranic institutions” has increased 18-fold in the past 12 years, official statistics show. In total, the country hosts 1,420 such institutions, a marked increase from 80 institutions in 2013. Chart LinkIran Open Data has extracted and processed these numbers from the

Quantifying Clerical Power in the Islamic Republic
Budget and Government Spending

Quantifying Clerical Power in the Islamic Republic

Shortly after the Iranian revolution of 1979, clerics led by Ruhollah Khomeini - who said before the revolution that he had “no interest in political power” - seized Iran’s executive. In the following four decades, clerics came to dominate many high-level government positions, in addition to the pos

Iran’s 50-Year Economic Lag is Stark in Global Terms
Banking and Finance

Iran’s 50-Year Economic Lag is Stark in Global Terms

Half a century ago, Iran's economy was bigger than South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. Recently, Iran has not only fallen behind these old rivals, but also lost its global economic significance.Iran Open Data’s research shows that seven years before the 1979 revolution, Iran’s economy was twice t

Internet Speed in Iran is at Regional Bottom
Communications

Internet Speed in Iran is at Regional Bottom

While average internet speed in the neighboring countries has increased up to ten times in the past seven years, Iran’s internet speed has increased by only 30%.By collecting the archived “Speed Test” information from its website, Iran Open Data has checked the average download speed of fixed intern

Data Shows Correlation Between Apple Production and the Drying up of Lake Urmia
Environment

Data Shows Correlation Between Apple Production and the Drying up of Lake Urmia

The drying up of Lake Urmia, a crucial aquifer in Iran’s northwest, is most often attributed to drought, illegal use of underground water, and excessive production of watermelon, sugar beet, and apple in West and East Azerbaijan provinces.Iran Open Data’s research shows that there is a direct relati

Decades of Oil Data Show Iran’s Steady Decline as Oil Producer
Energy

Decades of Oil Data Show Iran’s Steady Decline as Oil Producer

British Petroleum (BP) data from 1965 to 2022 indicates that Iran was, at times, the third or fourth-largest oil producer in the world after the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Russia. However, currently, its ranking has fallen to a lower eighth position behind Canada, Iraq, China, and the United A

How Iran Missed the Boat in the Global Energy Transition
Energy

How Iran Missed the Boat in the Global Energy Transition

Iran has failed to keep up with the global move towards green energy transition, which is now a central issue worldwide for political leaders, regulators and more importantly, the global investment community. Chart linkFigure 1 shows a significant global push for power generation by solar/wind, whic