Editing Demographics of Iran (section)

==Religious affiliations==
{{Pie chart
|thumb = left
|caption = Religion in Iran by CIA
|label1 = [[Shia Islam]] 
|value1 = 94.1
|color1 = DarkGreen
|label2 = [[Sunni Islam]]
|value2 = 5.3
|color2 = Green
|label3 = Other/Unspecifed
|value3 = 0.6
|color3 =  Blue
}}
{{Main article|Religion in Iran|Islam in Iran|Christianity in Iran|Irreligion in Iran}}
{{See also|Roman Catholicism in Iran|Persian Jews|Baháʼí Faith in Iran|Mandaeans}}
[[Image:Moschee-isfahan.jpg|thumb|250px|The entrance to [[Shah Mosque (Isfahan)|Shah Mosque]] (aka [[Imam Mosque]] or ''Shah Jame' Mosque'') in Isfahan. This mosque is a prominent example of Persian architecture during the [[Safavid dynasty]].]]
About 99% of the Iranians are Muslims; 90% belong to the [[Shi'a]] branch of Islam, the official state religion, and about 9% belong to the [[Sunni]] branch, which predominates in neighbouring Muslim countries.<ref name="CIA"/> Less than 1% non-Muslim minorities include [[Christians]], [[Zoroastrians in Iran|Zoroastrians]], [[Persian Jews|Jews]], [[Baháʼí Faith|Baháʼís]], [[Mandaeans]], and [[Yarsan]]. By far the largest group of Christians in Iran are Armenians under the [[Armenian Apostolic Church]] which has between 110,000,<ref>{{Cite news | title = In Iran, 'crackdown' on Christians worsens | newspaper = Christian Examiner | location = Washington D.C. | date = April 2009 | url = http://www.christianexaminer.com/Articles/Articles%20Apr09/Art_Apr09_23.html | access-date = 1 December 2009 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131231000642/http://www.christianexaminer.com/Articles/Articles%20Apr09/Art_Apr09_23.html | archive-date = 31 December 2013 }}</ref> 250,000,<ref name=Farsinet>{{Cite web | last = Price | first = Massoume | title = History of Christians and Christianity in Iran | work = Christianity in Iran | publisher = FarsiNet Inc. | date = December 2002 | url = http://www.farsinet.com/iranbibl/christians_in_iran_history.html | access-date = 1 December 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100322220007/http://www.farsinet.com/iranbibl/christians_in_iran_history.html | archive-date = 22 March 2010 | url-status = dead }}</ref> and 300,000,<ref>{{Cite news | title = In Iran, 'crackdown' on Christians worsens | newspaper = Christian Examiner | location = Washington D.C. | date = April 2009 | url = http://www.christianexaminer.com/Articles/Articles%20Apr09/Art_Apr09_23.html | access-date = 19 March 2015 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131231000642/http://www.christianexaminer.com/Articles/Articles%20Apr09/Art_Apr09_23.html | archive-date = 31 December 2013 }}</ref> adherents. There are hundreds of Christian churches in Iran.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}} The [[Baháʼí Faith]], Iran's largest non-Muslim religious minority with a population around 300,000, is not officially recognised (and therefore not included in the census results), and has been persecuted since its inception in Iran. Since the [[Iranian revolution|1979 revolution]] the [[persecution of Baháʼís]] has increased with executions, the denial of civil rights and liberties, and the denial of access to higher education and employment.<ref name="fdih1">{{cite web |date=1 August 2003 |title=Discrimination against religious minorities in Iran |author=International Federation for Human Rights |publisher=fdih.org |access-date=19 March 2007 |url=http://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/ir0108a.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061031221624/http://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/ir0108a.pdf |archive-date=31 October 2006 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="ihrdc">{{cite web | author= Iran Human Rights Documentation Center | publisher= Iran Human Rights Documentation Center | title= A Faith Denied: The Persecution of the Baháʼís of Iran | year= 2007 | access-date= 19 March 2007 | url= http://www.iranhrdc.org/english/pdfs/Reports/bahai_report.pdf | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070611140854/http://www.iranhrdc.org/english/pdfs/Reports/bahai_report.pdf | archive-date= 11 June 2007 }}</ref> Unofficial estimates for the [[Assyrians in Iran|Assyrian]] Christian population range between 20,000,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www1.jamejamonline.ir/newstext.aspx?newsnum=100951754043|title=انتقال مقر جهاني آشوريان به ايران|work=jamejamonline.ir|access-date=2 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223030525/http://www1.jamejamonline.ir/newstext.aspx?newsnum=100951754043|archive-date=23 December 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/assyrians-in-iran|title=ASSYRIANS IN IRAN|work=iranicaonline.org|access-date=2 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204215842/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/assyrians-in-iran|archive-date=4 February 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> and 70,000.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hooglund |first=Eric |author-link=Eric Hooglund |editor1-first=Glenn E. |editor1-last=Curtis |editor2-first=Eric |editor2-last=Hooglund |editor2-link=Eric Hooglund |others=[[United States Library of Congress]], [[Federal Research Division]] |title=Iran: A Country Study |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/irancountrystudy00curt_2/page/81 |chapter-format=PDF |access-date=13 October 2013 |edition=5th |series=Area Handbook Series |year=2008 |publisher=[[United States Government Printing Office]] |location=[[Washington, D.C.]] |isbn=978-0-8444-1187-3 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/irancountrystudy00curt_2/page/81 81–142] |chapter=The Society and Its Environment |chapter-url-access=registration }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aina.org/brief.html |title=Brief History of Assyrians |last=BetBasoo |first=Peter |date=1 April 2007 |publisher=[[Assyrian International News Agency]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017014421/http://www.aina.org/brief.html |archive-date=17 October 2013 |access-date=12 October 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The number of Iranian [[Mandaeans]] is a matter of dispute. In 2009, there were an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 Mandaeans in Iran, according to the Associated Press.<ref name="saving">{{cite web|last=Contrera |first=Russell |url=http://www.hollandsentinel.com/lifestyle/x1558731033/Saving-the-people-killing-the-faith |title=Saving the people, killing the faith&nbsp;– Holland, MI |publisher=The Holland Sentinel |access-date=17 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306012853/http://www.hollandsentinel.com/lifestyle/x1558731033/Saving-the-people-killing-the-faith |archive-date=6 March 2012 }}</ref> Whereas Alarabiya has put the number of Iranian Mandaeans as high as 60,000 in 2011.<ref name=alarabiya0612>{{cite web |author=<!--[if IE 6]> <![endif]--> |url=http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/12/06/181123.html |title=Iran Mandaeans in exile following persecution |publisher=Al Arabiya |date=6 December 2011 |access-date=17 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160731033510/http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/12/06/181123.html |archive-date=31 July 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right"
|+ Population of Iran according to religion 1956–2011 per the UN<ref name="Iran Census Results 2011"/><ref name="UN Demographic Yearbooks"/>
|-
! rowspan="2" |
! colspan="2" | [[Muslims]]
! colspan="2" | [[Christians]]
! colspan="2" | [[Zoroastrians]]
! colspan="2" | [[Jews]]
! colspan="2" | Other
! colspan="2" | Unknown
|-
! # !! %
! # !! %
! # !! %
! # !! %
! # !! %
! # !! %
|-
! census 1956
| 18,654,127 || {{percentage bar|width=40|98.4}}
| 114,528 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.6}}
| 15,723 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.1}}
| 65,232 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.3}}
| 59,256 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.3}}
| 45,838 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.2}}
|-
! census 1966
| 24,771,922 || {{percentage bar|width=40|98.8}}
| 149,427 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.6}}
| 19,816 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.1}}
| 60,683 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.2}}
| 77,075 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.3}}
|  || 
|-
! census 1976
| 33,396,908 || {{percentage bar|width=40|99.1}}
| 168,593 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.5}}
| 21,400 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.1}}
| 62,258 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.2}}
|  || 
| 59,583 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.2}}
|-
! census 2006
| 70,097,741 || {{percentage bar|width=40|99.4}}
| 109,415 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.2}}
| 19,823 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.0}}
| 9,252 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.0}}
| 54,234 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.1}}
| 205,317 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.3}}
|-
! census 2011
| 74,682,938 || {{percentage bar|width=40|99.4}}
| 117,704 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.2}}
| 25,271 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.0}}
| 8,756 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.0}}
| 49,101 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.1}}
| 265,899 || {{percentage bar|width=40|0.4}}
|}