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Foundations Run by Khamenei’s Powerful Relative Receive Over $8 million from State Budget Annually March 15, 2024

Two institutions controlled by the influential politician Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel, namely the Academy of Persian Language and Literature and the Saadi Foundation, receive more money from the national budget than most universities and research...

Quantifying Clerical Power in the Islamic Republic March 15, 2024

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...

Iran’s 50-Year Economic Lag is Stark in Global Terms March 13, 2024

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...

Data Shows Correlation Between Apple Production and the Drying up of Lake Urmia March 8, 2024

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...

Internet Speed in Iran is at Regional Bottom March 8, 2024

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...

Decades of Oil Data Show Iran’s Steady Decline as Oil Producer February 13, 2024

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...

How Iran Missed the Boat in the Global Energy Transition January 27, 2024

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.    !function(e,n,i,s){var...

Rising Costs Are Making Simple Meals Unaffordable for Iran’s Minimum Wage Earners December 20, 2023

The staggering increase in the cost of living in Iran is making staple meals unaffordable for the working class. In Tehran, the price of a grilled minced kebab serving, traditionally considered economical, is between 1.5 to 2 times the entire daily...

One Out of Ten Checks Issued in Iran Bounces December 20, 2023

At least one out of every ten checks issued in Iran bounces, Iran Open Data research shows. On average, each check is worth 874 million tomans ($17,515 at an exchange rate of 50,000 tomans/$1). Recent legislative changes aimed to bring Iran’s high...

The Intensity Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions In Iran Is Ten Times That Of America December 19, 2023

Weighted against the size of its economy, the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions in Iran is approximately three times that of China and more than ten times that of the United States, according to the latest European Union statistics. While...

One in Ten People in Iran Owns a Pet, Despite Restrictions December 19, 2023

Approximately three-fourths of respondents to a recent Iran Open Data Poll stated that they own a domesticated animal. More men than women own household pets. Although dogs and cats constitute the majority of domesticated animals, a diverse range of...

The Numbers Behind Iran’s Powdered Milk Shortage Don’t Add Up December 12, 2023

In recent months, a powdered milk shortage has created significant challenges for the Iranian population. Some reports suggest that Ebrahim Raisi’s administration has asked a factory in Turkey to supply all of Iran's powdered milk to make up for the...

Physicians Are Leaving Iran En Masse, Statistics Show December 12, 2023

The number of doctors who leave Iran to work in richer countries dwarfs the number of incoming doctors by 30% annually, an Iran Open Data analysis of publicly available figures shows.  While there is no official statistic available about the...

Poll: Most Iranians Have Their First Sexual Encounter Before They Turn 18 November 21, 2023

In a recent Iran Open Data poll about their first sexual experiences, 54% of respondents stated their first sexual experience occurred before they were 18 years old. Another 17% stated their first sexual encounter was with a same-sex partner. Men are...

Wastewater Production Increasing in Iran November 20, 2023

Although the population covered by Iran’s sewage network increased by about 20% between the years 1395 to 1400 (2016-2022), the volume of collected wastewater in the sewage network has grown by more than 34%, Iran Open Data’s research indicates. ...

From Ablutions to AI: What Students Learn at Iran’s Specialized Religious Schools November 15, 2023

Some 4,300 students, carefully selected for their academic achievements and political connections, will be admitted to Iran’s specialized religious and jurisprudential centers in the next academic year, new statistics found by Iran Open Data show. ...

55 Mosques for Every School or Hospital November 13, 2023

The number of mosques in Iran is at least 55 times higher than the number of public, semi-public, and private hospitals, Iran Open Data research shows. Official statistics show that access to mosques is easier than access to schools in three...

Over 2,000 Have Died Protesting Against the Islamic Republic November 13, 2023

Iran Open Data’s research indicates that the Iranian government has suppressed at least 16 major protests in Iran over the past 45 years, resulting in at least 2,400 fatalities. These casualties include protesters who took to the streets to pursue...

The Decline of Iran and the Steady Rise of the UAE November 6, 2023

Iran and the United Arab Emirates have been constant regional rivals in recent history, engaging in territorial disputes over islands in the Persian Gulf and racing to become proficient nuclear power generators. The latter competition has already been...

Iran Falling Behind in Regional Power Generation October 31, 2023

Power cuts have become increasingly common in Iran. The hotter southern regions experience them in the summer and while wintertime power cuts mostly affect the northern parts of the country. These power cuts have not only impacted households but also...

The Iranian Government Holds the World Record for Persecuting and Killing Protesters October 9, 2023

More than two-thirds of protesters killed worldwide in the past year have died in Iran. Iran Open Data’s research indicates that 817 people were killed in 179 demonstrations in 84 countries. Of those, 537 were killed in Iran.  !function(e,n,i,s){var...