Non-contributory social protection through a child and equity lens in Iran

With a population of over 80 million, the Islamic Republic of Iran is the second most populous country in the MENA region (after Egypt). More than 22 million people are under 18 years of age—27 per cent of the population. Iran's Human Development Index (HDI) was 0.774 in 2015, putting the country in the 'high human development' category. Iran has a long history of providing asylum to refugees. It is estimated that up to 3.5 million Afghans—many second or third generation—as well as some 30,000 Iraqi refugees reside in the country.