Quick facts
Karaj overview
Karaj (orange) and the other large cities of Iran
Karaj lies in Alborz Province in Iran at 35.83°N, 50.99°E, about 1,341 m above sea level. The local time zone is Asia/Tehran (UTC+3:30); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Isfahan (1,547,164) and larger than Tabriz (1,424,641). The largest city in Iran is Tehran with 7,153,309 people; the capital, Tehran, has 7,153,309.
The national capital, Tehran, is about 42 km away; the nearest large city is Moḩammad Shahr, 10 km from Karaj.
Iran as a whole has a live population of 93,380,098 (+0.8% a year) and ranks #17 of 238 countries — see the Iran population page for the full statistics and the Iran atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Karaj
Largest cities in Iran
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Karaj?
Karaj has about 1,448,075 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Karaj the capital of Iran?
No. The capital of Iran is Tehran (7,153,309 people), about 42 km away. Karaj is the 4th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Karaj compared with the rest of Iran?
Its 1,448,075 residents are 1.6% of the 93,380,098 people living in Iran today. Tehran is larger with 7,153,309 people.
Where is Karaj?
In Alborz Province, Iran, at latitude 35.83 and longitude 50.99, 1,341 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Moḩammad Shahr (10 km), Kamālshahr (11 km), Naz̧arābād (37 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Karaj Population 2026 — Iran. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/iran/karaj/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/iran/karaj/">Karaj Population 2026 — Iran</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.