Iran population ageing fast, bucking government efforts

Driven by rising life expectancy and dramatically declining birth rates, Iran's demographic makeup has shifted over the years, mirroring trends across much of the world. The National Population Research Institute has found that the country's 86-million-strong population is ageing five times faster than it is growing, according to official news agency IRNA, and the UN projects that by 2050 one-third of Iranians will be 60 or older -- a three-fold increase from 2021. "With this ongoing trend, the...