To Index| Group | Where | Number of Adherents |
% of total pop. |
Number of congreg./ churches/ units |
Number of countries |
Year | Source | Quote/ Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christianity | Iran | - | 0.40% | - | - | 1994 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: November, 1994 issue of GLOBAL PRAYER DIGEST); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | Total Population: 56,585,000. MUSLIM: 99%: Shi'ite branch, 87%; Sunni branch 12%. BAHA'I: 0.5%. 300,000. JEWS: 0.1%. ZOROASTRIAN: O.04%. CHRISTIAN: 0.4% |
| Christianity | Iran | 120,000 | - | - | - | 1999 | "Iran president, pope call for interfaith dialogue " in Dallas Morning News (March 12, 1999), pg. 11A. | "Tens of thousands of Christians have emigrated from Iran since 1979, cutting the Christian population by nearly two-thirds, to roughly 120,000, of which only 13,000 are Catholic. " |
| Evangelical | Iran | 2,046 | - | - | - | 1979 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: OPERATION WORLD, 1979 edition); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | Protestant Christians - community of only 8,500, membership 5,000 but about 80% nominal. Major groups: Presbyterian 3,000 members; Assemblies of God 700; Anglicans 400. Evangelicals 0.006% (out of 34,100,000 total) |
| Gabars | Iran | 11,000 | - | - | - | 1983 | Hopfe, Lews M. Religions of the World, Macmillan Publishing Co.: New York (1983) [3rd edition], pg. 313. | "Today the religion... is kept by an insignificant minority (approx. 11,000) in Iran known as Gabars..., by a larger minority (approx. 100,000) in India, and in other small communities around the world totaling approximately 254,000. " |
| Hezbollah | Iran | - | - | - | - | 1996 | Occhiogrosso, Peter. The Joy of Sects: A Spirited Guide to the World's Religious Traditions. New York: Doubleday (1996), pg. 460. | "Hezbollah (Ar. Hizb Allah, 'Party of God') is a fundamentalist Shiite set that came into being after the Iranian revolution of 1979. " |
| Islam | Iran | - | - | - | - | 1950 | Zehavi, A.M. (editor) Handbook of the World's Religions. New York: Franklin Watts (1973), pg. 135. | "Islam... In most areas there are no exact censuses, but approximate figures for the mid-20th century are as follows, by major groups:... in Iran and Afghanistan, 27,000,000; in Pakistan, 66,000,000; in India, 40,000,000... " |
| Islam | Iran | 34,100,000 | 98.00% | - | - | 1978 | Welch, Alford T. "Islam " in Hinnells, John R. (ed). A Handbook of Living Religions, Penguin Books: New York (1991) [reprint; 1st published in 1984], pg. 164-165. [Original src: Weeks, R. (ed.), "Muslim Peoples: A World Ethnographic Survey " (1978).] | Table: "Approximate Muslim populations and percentages of total populations " |
| Islam | Iran | - | 98.00% | - | - | 1979 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: OPERATION WORLD, 1979 edition); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | Muslims 98% -materialism and westernisation is weakening the hold of Islam on young people (Also changed in recent years.) |
| Islam | Iran | 41,657,840 | 98.00% | - | - | 1983 | Tarr, David R. & Bryan R. Daves (editors). The Middle East (6th Ed.); Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. (1986), pg. 188. | "Population: 42,508,000. Religion: 98% Moslem, with a great majority members of the Shi'ite sect; 5% of Sunni sect... " |
| Islam | Iran | 47,217,380 | 98.00% | - | - | 1986 | *LINK* Library of Congress Country Studies | 48,181,463 [total pop.] (1986). Shia Islam official religion with at least 90 percent adherence. Also approximately 8 percent Sunni Muslims and smaller numbers of Bahais, Armenian and Assyrian Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians. |
| Islam | Iran | 48,000,000 | 98.00% | - | - | 1986 | *LINK* Web site: "Arabic Paper "; web page: "Muslim Countries of the World " (viewed 15 June 1999). [Written 1998.] | [NOTE: Unreliable statistical methodology.] "In 1986... Muslim Education Trust organization [U.K.] obtained... 1971 census & [info. from] Embassies of the respective countires... 1971 census showed the Independent Muslim countries pop. was around 784.5 Million. "; "...add (784.5M + 308M [minority Muslim countries]) = 1092.5 Million Muslims in 1971 "; Table shows country, "population " [number of Muslims in the country], & % Muslim. Total adds up to 896,080,000, so these figures are apparently intended to be estimates for 1986. |
| Islam | Iran | - | 99.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994) pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% " |
| Islam | Iran | - | 99.00% | - | - | 1994 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: November, 1994 issue of GLOBAL PRAYER DIGEST); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | Total Population: 56,585,000. MUSLIM: 99%: Shi'ite branch, 87%; Sunni branch 12%. BAHA'I: 0.5%. 300,000. JEWS: 0.1%. ZOROASTRIAN: O.04%. CHRISTIAN: 0.4% |
| Islam | Iran | 60,790,000 | - | - | - | 1997 | Ash, Russell. The Top 10 of Everything, DK Publishing, Inc.: New York (1997), pg. 160-161. | List: "Top 10 Largest Muslim Populations in the World "; (Rank: 6) |
| Islam | Iran | 66,864,600 | 99.00% | - | - | 1997 | *LINK* CIA World Factbook web site (viewed Aug. 1998) | Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1%; Total population: 67,540,002 (July 1997 est.) note: includes 917,078 non-nationals (July 1997 est.). |
| Islam | Iran | 62,720,000 | 98.00% | - | - | 1997 | Russell, Malcom B. The Middle East and South Asia 1997 (The World Today Series). Harpers Ferry, West Virginia: Stryker-Post Publications (1997), pg. 92. | Estimates of % of population in principal religions, & est. 1997 total pop. |
| Islam | Iran | 74,087,696 | - | - | - | 1998 | Ash, Russell. The Top 10 of Everything 1999. New York: DK Publishing (1998), pg. 77. | Table: "Top 10 Largest Muslim Populations in the World "; Rank: #5 |
| Islam | Iran | - | 89.00% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* web site: "Wholesome Words: Worldwide Missions " by Stephen Ross, "First Edition, 1998 "; [original sources: The World Book Encyclopedia, c1998.] | Table: "Major Muslim Countries of the World " |
| Islam | Iran | - | 98.00% | - | - | 1999 | Lyle, Garry. Iran (series: Major World Nations), Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers (1999), pg. 86. | "Despite its diversity of peoples and cultures, Iran has almost no religious diversity--98% of its people are Muslims. And nearly all of them are Shiite Muslims... " |
| Islam | Iran | 65,370,000 | 98.20% | - | - | 2000 | K. F. Bin Mohd Noor. "Muslims Statistics... for Year 2000 " [orig. src: Barrett. World Christian Encyclopedia, 1982] | Table |
| Ismaili | Iran | - | - | - | - | 1999 | Lyle, Garry. Iran (series: Major World Nations), Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers (1999), pg. 87. | "Members of a few other Islamic sects live in Iran... Ismailism... lingers on in Iran and other Islamic countries... " |
| Judaism | Iran | 100,000 | - | - | - | 1950 | Gilbert, Martin (ed.) The Illustrated Atlas of Jewish Civilization: 4,000 Years of Jewish History. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co. (1990), pg. 209. | "...Iran. In about 1950, the Jewish population was estimated to be about 100,000, of whom some 10 percent were wealthy or middle class, the rest living in poverty. " |
| Judaism | Iran | 85,000 | - | - | - | 1974 | Lyle, Garry. Iran (series: Major World Nations), Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers (1999), pg. 87. | "The Jewish population numbered about 85,000 in 1974... " |
| Judaism | Iran | 81,000 | - | - | - | 1979 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: OPERATION WORLD, 1979 edition); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | Jews 81,000 - descendants of those who lived in Persia in Daniel's day. |
| Judaism | Iran | 32,000 | 0.05% | - | - | 1980 | Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 3 - Asia & Oceania. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 305, 308. | "Location: Iran; Population: 64,073,000 (1996 estimate) "; Pg. 308: "About 330,000 Christians lived in Iran in 1980, but many of these, also, are thought to have left. Jews, in 1980 numbering 32,000, might also have emigrated. " |
| Judaism | Iran | 32,000 | - | - | - | 1980 | Lyle, Garry. Iran (series: Major World Nations), Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers (1999), pg. 87. | "By 1980, so many Jews had left Iran that the Jewish population numbered only 32,000; persecution and emigration may have reduced that figure still further. " |
| Judaism | Iran | 1,000 | - | - | - | 1985 | Gilbert, Martin (ed.) The Illustrated Atlas of Jewish Civilization: 4,000 Years of Jewish History. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co. (1990), pg. 209. | "By the mid-1980s, there were only about 1,000 Jews left, and they, too, are held hostages by the regime. " |
| Judaism | Iran | 68,000 | - | - | - | 1994 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: 11/2/94 issue of GLOBAL PRAYER DIGEST); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | Officially, the Iranians insist their country is a safe haven for the remaining 68,000 Jews, and point to Iran's twelve synagogues as proof. |
| Judaism | Iran | - | 0.10% | - | - | 1994 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: November, 1994 issue of GLOBAL PRAYER DIGEST); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | Total Population: 56,585,000. MUSLIM: 99%: Shi'ite branch, 87%; Sunni branch 12%. BAHA'I: 0.5%. 300,000. JEWS: 0.1%. ZOROASTRIAN: O.04%. CHRISTIAN: 0.4% |
| Judaism | Iran | 25,000 | - | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Jewish Communities of the World web site (1998) | Table: World Jewry. "collected our data from from demographic and other academic studies, community reports, and up-dates in the general media... consulted with experts to verify findings before reaching our assessments and estimates. " |
| Kurds | Iran | 4,521,280 | 16.00% | - | - | 1970 | Chaliand, Gerard (ed). A People Without a Country: The Kurds and Kurdistan. New York: Olive Branch Press (1993 - revised first American edition), pg. 96. [Original Sources: National Census of Population and Housing, November 1966, Tehran; Monthly Bulletin of Statistics, November 1971, UN, New York.] | "Table 1: The Kurdish Population in Iran "; 1970: Kurds in Iran: 4,521,280; % of Kurds in the Iranian Population: 16. |
| Kurds | Iran | 5,190,400 | 16.00% | - | - | 1975 | Chaliand, Gerard (ed). A People Without a Country: The Kurds and Kurdistan. New York: Olive Branch Press (1993 - revised first American edition), pg. 96. [Original Sources: National Census of Population and Housing, November 1966, Tehran; Monthly Bulletin of Statistics, November 1971, UN, New York.] | "Table 1: The Kurdish Population in Iran "; 1975: Kurds in Iran: 5,514,800; % of Kurds in the Iranian Population: 16. |
| Kurds | Iran | 6,000,000 | 16.67% | - | - | 1993 | Chaliand, Gerard (ed). A People Without a Country: The Kurds and Kurdistan. New York: Olive Branch Press (1993 - revised first American edition), pg. 211. | "Iran... is a multinational empire... Out of an overall population of 36 million, there are roughly 13 million Turkish-speaking Azerbaijanis, 6 million Kurds, 2 million Arabs and a certain number of Baluchis and Turkomen. " |
| Kurds | Iran | - | 7.00% | - | - | 1999 | Lyle, Garry. Iran (series: Major World Nations), Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers (1999), pg. 82. | "The Zagros Mountains are the home of several tribal peoples... Chief among them are the Kurds (7%), the Luri, or lurs (2%), and the Bakhtiari (2%)... The Kurds... live in the northern part of the mountain range... " |
| Kurds | Iran | 4,627,000 | 7.00% | - | - | 1999 | Lyle, Garry. Iran (series: Major World Nations), Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers (1999), pg. 9-10. | "Population: 66,100,000... Ethnic Groups: Persian (51%), Azerbaijani (24%), Kurdish (7%), Luri (2%), Bakhtiari (2%), Baluchi (2%), Arab (3%), other (9%). " |
| Luri | Iran | - | 2.00% | - | - | 1999 | Lyle, Garry. Iran (series: Major World Nations), Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers (1999), pg. 82. | "The Zagros Mountains are the home of several tribal peoples... Chief among them are the Kurds (7%), the Luri, or lurs (2%), and the Bakhtiari (2%)... The Luri live in the central part of the range, in the region, in the region known as Luristan. " |
| Luri | Iran | 1,322,000 | 2.00% | - | - | 1999 | Lyle, Garry. Iran (series: Major World Nations), Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers (1999), pg. 9-10. | "Population: 66,100,000... Ethnic Groups: Persian (51%), Azerbaijani (24%), Kurdish (7%), Luri (2%), Bakhtiari (2%), Baluchi (2%), Arab (3%), other (9%). " |
| Manichaeism | Iran | - | - | - | - | 250 C.E. | *LINK* Hexham, Irving. Concise Dictionary of Religion. Carol Stream, USA: InterVarsity Press (1994). (v. online 6 Oct. 1999) | "MANICHAEISM: a RELIGION which thrived during third century in Persia founded by MANI... " |
| Manichaeism | Iran | - | - | - | - | 274 C.E. | Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 13). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970), pg. 1721. | "Mani considered Buddha, Zoroaster and Jesus as his predecessors. He visited northwestern India and during his missionary trips in the Persian Empire, favoured by King Shapur I, he must have become thoroughly familiar with the Iranian religion. If he died in prison (possibly in 274 AD) owing to the hostility of the official magians (fire-priests) who influenced King Bahram I, this does not mean that he did not integrate Iranian religious concepts into his system. " |
| Mithraism | Iran | - | - | - | - | -628 B.C.E. | *LINK* web site: "Mithras " (by Payam Nabarz); web page: Introduction (viewed 2 April 1999). | "Mithra is an Indo-Iranian god, worshipped at least as early as 1400BC. In Hinduism he is praised as the binomial Mitra-Varuna. A hymn is also dedicated to him alone in Rig Veda (3.59)... In Persia Mithra was the protector god of the tribal society until the Zorostaris reformation of Persian polytheism (628-55BC). Mithra like the rest of the gods and goddess of the Iranian Pantheon was stripped of his sovereignty, and all his powers and attributes were bestowed upon Ahura Mazda... " |
| Mithraism | Iran | - | - | - | - | -486 B.C.E. | Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 14). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970), pg. 1862. | "The Persian social system was feudal... Mithras, who represented law and order, was the divine exponent of the Persian system as god of contracts and of all reciprocal relationships... 550 BC, perhaps considerably earlier, Zoroaster... fought passionately against polytheism and against Mithras... the doctrinal teaching of Zoroaster was gradually interspersed with elements of the older polytheism... After Darius, who died in 486 BC, the Persian kings were Zoroastrians. But the aristocracy probably contintinued to be attached to Mithras and the old gods... In the 4th century BC the Kings Artaxerxes II and III mentioned Mithra... in their inscriptions. But by this time, Zoroastrianism was the dominant factor in the blending of the two religions and we hear no more of the Mithraic bull sacrifice. After the destruction of the Persian Empire by Alexander the Great nothing more is heard about the Persian worship of Mithras. " |
| Mithraism | Iran | - | - | - | - | -300 B.C.E. | *LINK* Hexham, Irving. Concise Dictionary of Religion. Carol Stream, USA: InterVarsity Press (1994). (v. online 6 Oct. 1999) | "MITHRAISM: an ancient Iranian RELIGION worshiping the GOD MITHRA which became popular as a MYSTERY RELIGION in the Roman Empire, especially among soldiers. The THEOLOGY appears to have been a complex FORM of DUALISM. " |
| Naqshbandiya | Iran | - | - | - | - | 1150 C.E. | Crim, Keith (ed.). The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions. San Francisco: Harper Collins (1989). Reprint; originally published as Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions, 1981; pg. 723. | "Another major pan-Islamic order, the Naqshbandiyya, traced their lineage back to Junayd's spiritual opposite, the northwest Iranian shaikh Abu Yazid Bistami... " |
| Nestorian | Iran | 25,000 | - | - | - | 1979 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: OPERATION WORLD, 1979 edition); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | There remain [of Christians]: Armenians 108,000; Nestorian 25,000; Roman Catholics 21,000 |
| other | Iran | 490,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table; "other " = NOT Shiite or Sunni |
| Parthians | Iran | - | - | - | - | -247 B.C.E. | Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 16). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970), pg. 2143. | "Originally a tribe of Iranian nomads known as the Parni, the Parthians acquired the latter designation with Greek and Roman writers by seizing the satrapy (district) of Parthava in c. 247 BC. Their leader, named Arsaces, founded a dynasty of kings known as the Arsacids. Their new kingdom was wreested from the Seleucid government, which had inherited the Middle Eastern part of the empire of Alexander the Great. The Seleucid rulers continued Alexander's policy of Hellenizing the peoples he had conquered. This policy meant the establishment of Greek political and cultural institutions, including religious cults. " |
| Parthians | Iran | - | - | - | - | -247 B.C.E. | Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 16). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970), pg. 2144. | "A very important question concerning the Parthian attitude towards the many religions current in their empire is that of their policy towards Zoroastrianism. This native Iranian religion, which was to be vigorously supported by the Sassanians, had existed in Iran since the 6th century BC. It seems to have been accepted in a modified form by the Achaemenian rulers, whose imperial dynasty was overthrown by Alexander the Great. The defeat of this native dynasty and the Hellenizing policy of Alexander and the Seleucids seem likely to have imperilled Zoroastrianism, or at least hindered its progress. The rise to power, therefore, of an Iranian dynasty, such as the Parthian Arsacids, would appear to have been providential for Zoroastrianism. The issue, unfortunately, remains obscure, for the original native religion of the Parthians is unknown, and the position of Zoroastrianism at this time is uncertain. " |
| Parthians | Iran | - | - | - | - | -200 B.C.E. | Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 16). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970), pg. 2144. | "There is a tradition that a Parthian king, Valakhsh or Vologases, collected together fragments of the 21 books attributed to Zoroaster, which had survived Alexander's destruction of the Iranian prophet's works. However that may be, what evidence there is seems to indicate that the Parthians inherited and maintained what has been called 'a general Mazdayasnian religious predominance'. This means, in fact, that they continued the religioius situation that existed under the Achaemenians. For under these rulers, while Zoroaster's Ahura Mazdah was worshipped and Arta, the principle of cosmic good order, was exalted, the Iranian deities Mithra and Anahita were also acknowledged, contrary to the teaching of Zoroaster, and the Magi, the ancient Persian priestly caste, extended their influence. The Parthians were Mazdah worshippes and respected the Magi; several of their monarchs incorporated references to Arta and Mithra in their names. They were also fire worshippers... " |
| Parthians | Iran | - | - | - | - | -34 B.C.E. | Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 16). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970), pg. 2144. | "The syncretism that characterized the religion of Partha is strikingly presented in its iconography. An impressive memorial to this is the colossal tomb of Antiochus I of Commagene (69-34 BC). As the inscriptions on the giant statues show, the following identifications of Greek and Iranian gods were made: Zeus-Oromasdes (Ohrmazd, the later designation of Ahura Mazdah); Apollo-Mithras-Helios-Hermes; Artagnes (Verethragna, god of war)-Heracles-Ares. The most amazing of all instances of Parthian religious syncretism, however, is a carved slab from Hatrah. It shows as its chief figure a bearded male deity in Parthian dress, armed with a heavy sword... Semitic and Hittite weather gods... Hatrah... Cerberus who guarded the Greek underworld... Atargatis... Mithraic figure... identified with Zurvan-Ahrmiman... " |
| Presbyterian | Iran | 3,000 | - | - | - | 1979 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: OPERATION WORLD, 1979 edition); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | Protestant Christians - community of only 8,500, membership 5,000 but about 80% nominal. Major groups: Presbyterian 3,000 members; Assemblies of God 700; Anglicans 400. Evangelicals 0.006% (out of 34,100,000 total) |
| Protestant | Iran | 8,000 | - | - | - | 1972 | Marty, Martin E. Protestantism (History of Religion Series). New York: Hold, Rinehart and Winston (1972), pg. 13. | "...the Near East provides another example of Protestantism as a tiny minority... Iran numbers at most 8,000 and Iraq fewer than 2,000 evangelicals, and there can obviously be almost no positive cultural impact in such circumstances. " |
| Protestant | Iran | 8,500 | - | - | - | 1979 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: OPERATION WORLD, 1979 edition); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | Protestant Christians - community of only 8,500, membership 5,000 but about 80% nominal. Major groups: Presbyterian 3,000 members; Assemblies of God 700; Anglicans 400. Evangelicals 0.006% (out of 34,100,000 total) |
| Protestant | Iran | - | - | 30 units |
- | 1985 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: 4/12/85 issue of GLOBAL PRAYER DIGEST); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | In Iran's nearly 200 cities and towns, fewer than 100 Christian groups of any kind meet, and perhaps only 30 Protestant churches. |
| Shiite | Iran | 38,257,200 | 90.00% | - | - | 1983 | Tarr, David R. & Bryan R. Daves (editors). The Middle East (6th Ed.); Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. (1986), pg. 188,190. | "Population: 42,508,000. Religion: 98% Moslem, with a great majority members of the Shi'ite sect; 5% of Sunni sect... "; "Shi'ite Moslems (90% of Iran's population) " |
| Shiite | Iran | 43,362,900 | 90.00% | - | - | 1986 | *LINK* Library of Congress Country Studies | 48,181,463 [total pop.] (1986). Shia Islam official religion with at least 90 percent adherence. Also approximately 8 percent Sunni Muslims and smaller numbers of Bahais, Armenian and Assyrian Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians. |
| Shiite | Iran | - | 91.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994) pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% " |
| Shiite | Iran | 33,000,000 | 94.00% | - | - | 1994 | Fluehr-Lobban, Carolyn. Islamic Society in Practice; Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida (1994), pg. 21. | Map: "Shi'ite population in the Middle East. Copyright by Diederik Vanderwalle. " |
| Shiite | Iran | 53,000,000 | 91.00% | - | - | 1994 | Halm, Heinz. Shi'a Islam: From Religion to Revolution. Princeton, NJ: Markus Wiener Publishers (1997). Translated from German by Allison Brown. (German version pub. 1994 in Munich by Verlag C.H. Beck). Page ix. | "The Islamic country with the largest proportion of Shi'ites is Iran, where they comprise 91% of the total population (approx. 53 million). " |
| Shiite | Iran | - | 87.00% | - | - | 1994 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: November, 1994 issue of GLOBAL PRAYER DIGEST); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | Total Population: 56,585,000. MUSLIM: 99%: Shi'ite branch, 87%; Sunni branch 12%. BAHA'I: 0.5%. 300,000. JEWS: 0.1%. ZOROASTRIAN: O.04%. CHRISTIAN: 0.4% |
| Shiite | Iran | 58,220,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Shiite | Iran | 62,791,540 | 98.00% | - | - | 1996 | Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 3 - Asia & Oceania. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 305, 308. | "Location: Iran; Population: 64,073,000 (1996 estimate) "; Pg. 308: "The overwhelming majority of Iranians (about 98%) are Shi'ah Muslims, and Shi'ah Islam is the state religion. " |
| Shiite | Iran | 60,110,600 | 89.00% | - | - | 1997 | *LINK* CIA World Factbook web site (viewed Aug. 1998) | Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1%; Total population: 67,540,002 (July 1997 est.) note: includes 917,078 non-nationals (July 1997 est.). |
| Shiite | Iran | 59,520,000 | 93.00% | - | - | 1997 | Russell, Malcom B. The Middle East and South Asia 1997 (The World Today Series). Harpers Ferry, West Virginia: Stryker-Post Publications (1997), pg. 92. | Estimates of % of population in principal religions, & est. 1997 total pop. |
| Shiite | Iran | 61,473,000 | 93.00% | - | - | 1999 | Lyle, Garry. Iran (series: Major World Nations), Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers (1999), pg. 9-10. | "Population: 66,100,000... Religions: Shiite Muslims (93%); Sunni Muslim (5%); other, including Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, and Baha'is (2%). " |
| Sikhism | Iran | - | - | 2 units |
- | 1993 | O'Brien, J. & M. Palmer. The State of Religion Atlas. Simon & Schuster: New York (1993). Pg 30-31. | Map: Number of Sikh gurdwaras ( "a gurdwara is both a place of worship and community centre ") |
| Sufism | Iran | - | - | - | - | 1999 | Lyle, Garry. Iran (series: Major World Nations), Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers (1999), pg. 87. | "Members of a few other Islamic sects live in Iran. Sufism, a school of Islamic mysticism, had many followers in medieval Persia, and a few Iranians still practice its rituals... " |
| Sunni | Iran | 2,082,892 | 4.90% | - | - | 1983 | Tarr, David R. & Bryan R. Daves (editors). The Middle East (6th Ed.); Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. (1986), pg. 188. | "Population: 42,508,000. Religion: 98% Moslem, with a great majority members of the Shi'ite sect; 5% of Sunni sect... " |
| Sunni | Iran | 3,854,480 | 8.00% | - | - | 1986 | *LINK* Library of Congress Country Studies | 48,181,463 [total pop.] (1986). Shia Islam official religion with at least 90 percent adherence. Also approximately 8 percent Sunni Muslims and smaller numbers of Bahais, Armenian and Assyrian Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians. |
| Sunni | Iran | - | 8.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994) pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% " |
| Sunni | Iran | - | 12.00% | - | - | 1994 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: November, 1994 issue of GLOBAL PRAYER DIGEST); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | Total Population: 56,585,000. MUSLIM: 99%: Shi'ite branch, 87%; Sunni branch 12%. BAHA'I: 0.5%. 300,000. JEWS: 0.1%. ZOROASTRIAN: O.04%. CHRISTIAN: 0.4% |
| Sunni | Iran | 3,520,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Sunni | Iran | 6,754,000 | 10.00% | - | - | 1997 | *LINK* CIA World Factbook web site (viewed Aug. 1998) | Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1%; Total population: 67,540,002 (July 1997 est.) note: includes 917,078 non-nationals (July 1997 est.). |
| Sunni | Iran | 3,200,000 | 5.00% | - | - | 1997 | Russell, Malcom B. The Middle East and South Asia 1997 (The World Today Series). Harpers Ferry, West Virginia: Stryker-Post Publications (1997), pg. 92. | Estimates of % of population in principal religions, & est. 1997 total pop. |
| Sunni | Iran | 3,305,000 | 5.00% | - | - | 1999 | Lyle, Garry. Iran (series: Major World Nations), Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers (1999), pg. 9-10. | "Population: 66,100,000... Religions: Shiite Muslims (93%); Sunni Muslim (5%); other, including Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, and Baha'is (2%). " |
| Twelvers | Iran | 7,000,000 | - | - | - | 1969 | Hutchinson, John A. Paths of Faith; New York: McGraw-Hill (1969), pg. 469. | "In Iran, where some seven million Twelvers live... " |
