Iran's population dilemma: youthness or aging

Morteza Jafari, Payame Noor University
Reza Esmailzadeh, Payame Noor University
Ali Morovatpor

In the past decades Iran has experienced a diverse set of dramatic events including drastic changes in government policies, an unchecked increase in the population growth with 4 percent in 1982 that caused Iran records the highest growth rate in the world at that time, followed by a sharp decline in fertility with lowest population growth rate in the Middle East region by 1995, it was the second records of Iran's population issue and after analysis of Iran's 2006 census data our finding shows that Iran moved toward the third records of population matter: in one side, growing the elderly people in some provinces are as like as developed countries (more than 12 percent are 60 and over), in other side there are some provinces that its 60+ people are less than least developed countries (4.2 percent). This paper provides a synthesis of age-related developments and policies for Iran's future aging problem. In this regard the authors intended to answer the following questions: How differences between these provinces created under the same policy for all provinces by the government at the same time? What is the government role for balancing the different needs of these two sections? Which policy could be effective for both sections and where further reforms appear needed?