Editing Economy of Iran (section)

== History ==
{{Main|Economic history of Iran}}
{{Further|Agriculture in Iran#History|Central Bank of Iran#History|Petroleum industry in Iran#History|History of Iran}}

[[File:Achaemenid coin daric 420BC front.jpg|150px|left|thumb|Persian [[Achaemenid]] [[gold coin]], circa 490 BC]]
In 546 BC, [[Croesus]] of [[Lydia]] was defeated and captured by the [[Persia]]ns, who then adopted [[gold]] as the main metal for their coins.<ref name="history">{{cite web |title = Gold coins{{Snd}} A Brief History |url = http://www.taxfreegold.co.uk/goldcoinsbriefhistory.html |access-date = February 16, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = Monetary Episodes from History |url = http://www.galmarley.com/framesets/fs_monetary_history_faqs.htm |access-date = February 16, 2014 |archive-date = May 16, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110516071932/http://www.galmarley.com/framesets/fs_monetary_history_faqs.htm }}</ref> There are accounts in the biblical [[Book of Esther]] of dispatches being sent from Susa to provinces as far out as India and the [[Kingdom of Kush]] during the reign of [[Xerxes I of Persia|Xerxes the Great]] (485–465 BC). By the time of [[Herodotus]] (c. 475 BC), the [[Royal Road]] of the [[Persian Empire]] ran some 2,857&nbsp;km from the city of [[Susa]] on the Karun (250&nbsp;km east of the Tigris) to the port of Smyrna (modern [[İzmir]] in [[Turkey]]) on the [[Aegean Sea]].

Modern [[agriculture in Iran]] dates back to the 1850s when [[Amir Kabir]] undertook a number of changes to the traditional agricultural system. Such changes included importing modified seeds and signing collaboration contracts with other countries. [[Lazar Polyakov|Polyakov]]'s ''Bank Esteqrazi'' was bought in 1898 by the [[Imperial Russia|Tsarist government of Russia]], and later passed into the hands of the Iranian government by a contract in 1920.<ref name="Reuter">{{cite web |url = http://www.parstimes.com/history/banking_history.html |title = History of Banking in Iran |publisher = Parstimes.com |access-date = November 11, 2012 }}</ref> The bank continued its activities under the name of ''Bank Iran'' until 1933 when incorporating the newly founded [[Keshavarzi Bank]].<ref name="Reuter" /><ref name="LOC5" />

The [[Imperial Bank of Persia]] was established in 1885, with offices in all major cities of Persia.<ref name="Reuter" /> [[Reza Shah Pahlavi]] (r. 1925–41) improved the country's overall infrastructure, implemented educational reform, campaigned against foreign influence, reformed the legal system, and introduced modern industries. During this time, Iran experienced a period of social change, economic development, and relative political stability.<ref name="LOC5" />

Reza Shah Pahlavi, who abdicated in 1941, was succeeded by his son, [[Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi]] (r. 1941–79). No fundamental change occurred in the [[Economic history of Iran#Pahlavi Era (1925–79)|economy of Iran during World War II]] and the years immediately following. Between 1954 and 1960 a rapid increase in oil revenues and sustained foreign aid led to greater investment and fast-paced economic growth, primarily in the government sector. Subsequently, inflation increased, the value of the national currency, the rial, depreciated, and a foreign-trade deficit developed. Economic policies implemented to combat these problems led to declines in the rates of nominal economic growth and per capita income by 1961.<ref name="LOC5" />

Prior to 1979, Iran developed rapidly. Traditionally agricultural, by the 1970s, the country had undergone significant industrialization and modernization.<ref name="documentary"/><ref name="documentary2"/> The pace slowed by 1978 as [[flight of capital|capital flight]] reached $30 to $40 billion 1980-US dollars just before the [[Iranian Revolution|revolution]].<ref name="Migration">[https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/iran-vast-diaspora-abroad-and-millions-refugees-home Shirin Hakimzadeh. Iran: A Vast Diaspora Abroad and Millions of Refugees at Home]. Migration information source (2006). Retrieved July 18, 2009.</ref>

Following the nationalizations in 1979 and the outbreak of the [[Iran–Iraq War]], over 80% of the economy came under government control.<ref name="GSO" /> The eight-year war with Iraq claimed at least 300,000 Iranian lives and injured more than 500,000. The cost of the war to Iran's economy was some $500 billion.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia = Microsoft Encarta |title = Iran-Iraq war |year = 2008 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/iran-iraq.htm Iran–Iraq war (1980–1988)]. Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved October 21, 2009.</ref>

After hostilities ceased in 1988, the government tried to develop the country's [[Communications in Iran|communication]], [[Transport in Iran|transportation]], manufacturing, [[Health care in Iran|health care]], [[Education in Iran|education]] and energy sectors, including its prospective [[Iran's Nuclear Program|nuclear power facilities]], and began integrating its communication and transportation systems with those of neighboring states.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.irvl.net/six_snapshots.htm |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927023440/http://www.irvl.net/six_snapshots.htm |archive-date = September 27, 2007 |date = February 2001 |title = Iranian Economy in Six Snapshots |publisher = Payam-e Emruz; Economic, Social, Cultural (Monthly) }}</ref>

[[Government of Iran|The government]]'s long-term objectives since the revolution were stated as [[independence|economic independence]], [[full employment]], and a comfortable standard of living but [[demographics of Iran|Iran's population]] more than doubled between 1980 and 2000 and its median age declined.<ref name="Dr. Gheissari">{{cite book |last = Gheissari |first = Ali |title = Contemporary Iran: Economy, Society, Politics |publisher = Oxford University Press |year = 2009 |location = USA |pages = 7–8 (Paperback edition) |isbn = 978-0-19-537849-8 }}</ref> Although many Iranians are farmers, agricultural production has consistently fallen since the 1960s. By the late 1990s, Iran imported much of its food. At that time, economic hardship in the countryside resulted in many [[Urbanization|people moving to cities]].<ref name="Migration" />

<gallery>
File:Provinces of Iran by contribution to national GDP.svg|The [[Provinces of Iran]] by their contribution to national GDP, 2014
File:Socio-eco expenditures IRAN.jpg|[[Government of Iran#Expenditures|Socioeconomic expenditures]], 2004
File:GDP_per_capita_development_in_Iran.svg|Historical GDP per capita development in Iran, 1820–2018
File:Irecosector.gif|[[#Sectors|Economic sectors]], 2002
File:Inflation Iran CPI.jpg|[[Central Bank of Iran#Inflation and monetary policy|Inflation rate]], 1980–2010
File:Iran market liquidity.png|[[Central Bank of Iran#Money supply|Market liquidity]], 2012
File:IRAN CPI broad money FXreserves.jpg|[[Consumer Price Index|CPI]], [[Central Bank of Iran#Money supply|broad money]] and [[Central Bank of Iran#Foreign reserves|foreign exchange reserves]], 2000–2011
File:USD-IRR exchange rate.JPG|[[US dollar]]/[[Iranian rial]] exchange rate, 2003–2014 est.
File:Debt service-Iran.png|[[Central Bank of Iran#Foreign exposure and transactions|Debt service]], 1980–2000
File:IRANbalanceofpayment.jpg|[[Balance of payment]], 2003–2007
File:TEPIXvsDJIA.png|[[Tehran Stock Exchange#Indices|TEPIX]] vs [[DJIA]] and [[oil prices]], 2000–2009
File:Oil Production and Consumption.gif|[[Petroleum industry in Iran|Oil production and consumption]], 1977–2010
File:IRAN oil&gas production.jpg|[[Petroleum industry in Iran|Oil and gas production]], 1970–2030 est.
</gallery>