Energy intensity by sector in Iran
Iran: Energy intensity by sector was 4.92 MJ/2011 USD PPP in 2012. ▲ Rising
Energy intensity by sector in Iran, 1990–2012
Source: World Bank and IEA (2017) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in MJ/2011 USD PPP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for energy intensity by sector in Iran is 4.92 MJ/2011 USD PPP, measured in 2012.
The figure is down 3.2% on the previous year and down 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, energy intensity by sector in Iran peaked at 5.45 MJ/2011 USD PPP in 2007 and was at its lowest, 4.14 MJ/2011 USD PPP, in 1990.
Iran ranks 39th of 189 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Energy intensity by sector in Iran, year by year
| Year | MJ/2011 USD PPP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 4.14 MJ/2011 USD PPP | — |
| 1991 | 4.2 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 4.41 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +5.0% |
| 1993 | 4.38 MJ/2011 USD PPP | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 5.12 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +17.0% |
| 1995 | 5.12 MJ/2011 USD PPP | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 4.87 MJ/2011 USD PPP | -4.9% |
| 1997 | 4.94 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 4.84 MJ/2011 USD PPP | -2.2% |
| 1999 | 5.12 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +5.9% |
| 2000 | 5.17 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 5.21 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 5.11 MJ/2011 USD PPP | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 5.01 MJ/2011 USD PPP | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 5.13 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 5.29 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 5.45 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 5.45 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 5.39 MJ/2011 USD PPP | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 5.41 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 5.12 MJ/2011 USD PPP | -5.5% |
| 2011 | 5.08 MJ/2011 USD PPP | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 4.92 MJ/2011 USD PPP | -3.2% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 4.92 MJ/2011 USD PPP is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2.85 MJ/2011 USD PPP, 1.7× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Iran's 4.92 MJ/2011 USD PPP is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 2.52 MJ/2011 USD PPP, 2.0× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.72 MJ/2011 USD PPP | 4.14 MJ/2011 USD PPP | 5.12 MJ/2011 USD PPP | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.26 MJ/2011 USD PPP | 5.01 MJ/2011 USD PPP | 5.45 MJ/2011 USD PPP | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.04 MJ/2011 USD PPP | 4.92 MJ/2011 USD PPP | 5.12 MJ/2011 USD PPP | 3 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More energy & mining data for Iran
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 0.5768 % change on previous year (2025)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 2.0% (2022)
- Ores and metals imports 2.0% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is energy intensity by sector in Iran?
- Energy intensity by sector in Iran was 4.92 MJ/2011 USD PPP in 2012, according to World Bank and IEA (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest energy intensity by sector recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 5.45 MJ/2011 USD PPP in 2007.
- What is the lowest energy intensity by sector recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.14 MJ/2011 USD PPP in 1990.
- How does Iran rank for energy intensity by sector?
- Iran ranks 39th out of 189 countries with data for 2012.
- Is energy intensity by sector rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank and IEA (2017) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Energy intensity by sector. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Energy intensity level of final energy (MJ/2011 USD PPP): A ratio between final energy consumption and gross domestic product measured at purchasing power parity. Energy intensity is an indication of how much energy is used to produce one unit of economic output. Lower ratio indicates that less energy is used to produce one unit of output.