Trends Business Factoids
25% of the population will be over 65 by 2050
Currently there are 8 million elderly. In contrast, at the end of the second millennium, 40% of Iranians were under the age of 14. The ageing population is growing three times faster than the overall population. In preparation, cities are aiming to be more age-friendly. Various programs are under way, and recently Isfahan was inaugurated by its mayor and UNFPA as the pilot age friendly city.
$700,000,000; yearly turnover of knowledge-based companies
The phrase “knowledge based” is coined as part of a long-term program which covers a good part of incubation and technology park systems. The umbrella program has seen the growth of the so-called knowledge-based companies to reach about 6,500 strong.
100,000,000 square meters total carpet production in Iran
Until 2017, 1900 tons or 125 million USD of Iranian handwoven carpets, about a third of the export value, found their way to the US. Other top destinations are Germany, Lebanon, UK and UAE. Iran holds about 20% of all international trade of woven carpets. Together with machine-woven carpets, the production has risen from about 70,000,000 square meters in 2009 to just short of 100,000,000 square meters in 2019.
100; Number of fertility centers
More Iranian couples experience infertility than the world average. The country utilizes all modern techniques, approaches and technologies available in the world. IBF, IVF, and ICSI are among the common treatments in use. The costs are relatively low: successful treatments cost less than 2,000 USD. Infertility treatment has become a strong part of Iran’s health tourism attraction to expats and people from neighboring countries.
6,000,000 Hectares; Area of land producing wheat
Iran has been self-sufficient in the production of wheat since 2016. In 2019 production reached 11 million tons and in 2020 this is expected to become 14 million. The state aspires for 95% self-efficiency in main agricultural products. This means there are 14.5 million tonnes of wheat, 3.6 million tonnes of barley, 10 million tonnes of sugar beet, 7.5 million tonnes of sugar cane, 5.5 million tonnes of potatoes and about 1 million tonnes of colza, among others. The plan strongly favors organic food while tightening control on genetically modified foods.
35,000,000 USD; The estimated amount of yearly transactions handled by Iranian fintech start-ups in 2019
A recent study identified the players in the booming fintech scene, with 8 policy and regulatory players, 9 trade associations, 80+ start-ups in payment, 15 in international transactions, 15 in block chain technologies, 25 in wealth management, 25 in crowdfunding and micro lending, 30 in personal finance, 15 in insurance and 5 in the banking segment.
148,000; Number of hospital beds
The provinces of Tehran, Khorasan Razavi and Fars have the most number of beds between them with 22%, 8% and 8% of the total number of hospital beds, respectively. By 2025 it is planned to add another 113,000 beds which will raise the current per-thousand index of 1.8 to 3.
1888 AD;
First railroad in Iran connected Tehran to the city of Rey. In 1926 the line from Torkaman Port in the North to Imam Khomeini Port in the South ushered an era of the development of railroad infrastructure that later became a turning point in World War II.
14,000 Kilometres Total railroad network
The railroad network, which accommodates 11 international stations, is supervised by the Iranian Railroad Organisation employing more than 9,000 people. The government is providing incentives to correct the unbalanced distribution of commercial activity between the land- and rail-roads, where the railroads take only a small share. Its share of cargo is planned to reach 91 million tonnes by 2025, from the current 34 million. By then the network is to reach 25,000 km. This takes 250 km of new lines and an additional 150 km of renovations every year.
