55 Mosques in Iran for Every Hospital

The number of mosques in Iran is 55 times higher than the number of private and public hospitals, according to new research by Iran Open Data.

The collaborative initiative also cites official statistics as showing that mosques are more accessible than hospital beds in two Iranian provinces.

There is a paucity of official data on the total number of mosques in the country, but religious and propaganda institutions estimate it between 55,000 to 79,000. 

According to the Guidance Foundation, seen as the body under the Islamic Propagation Organization responsible for mosque affairs, more than 6,000 of these mosques are “inactive.” 

Iran Open Data says the provinces of Isfahan, Khorasan Razavi, Mazandaran, Kerman and Fars are each estimated to have the highest number of mosques – more than 3,000. 

However, less than 500 mosques are located in Alborz, Qazvin, Zanjan and Ilam provinces.

On average, there are 65.2 mosques per 100,000 people in Iran, according to Iran Open Data.

South Khorasan province has the highest rate, with 264 mosques per 100,000 people, closely followed by Yazd and Ardabil. 

Alborz, Tehran and Qazvin provinces have the lowest rate, with 16, 12, and 4 mosques per 100,000 people, respectively.

In contrast, the 2021 Statistical Yearbook of Iran said that the number of public, semi-public and private stood at 1,020, with a total of 141,000 active hospital beds, while primary and secondary schools numbered approximately 114,000.

In three provinces – South Khorasan, Yazd and Markazi – the number of mosques per 100,000 people exceeded the per-capita rate for schools, Iran Open Data says. 

It was also higher than the per-capita rate for hospital beds in South Khorasan and Markazi. 

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Click here to read Iran Open Data's article in Persian. 

Founded in 2016, Iran Open Data (IOD) strives to make Iran’s official data accessible, available and re-usable. Not only does IOD collect and process raw datasets for researchers and experts, it also publishes exclusive data-driven articles and digital stories for the general public. Additionally, IOD conducts public data calls and surveys on often neglected or taboo issues that are rarely addressed by the government. Follow IOD for all the data-stories concerning Iran.