WANA (Feb 27) – In recent years, several foreign-based Persian-language media outlets have portrayed the Pahlavi period as a “golden age” for Iranian society. However, archived data and international development indicators present a markedly different picture.

 

A review of historical data published by the United Nations indicates that welfare and public health conditions in Iran during the final years of the Pahlavi era were significantly weaker than some contemporary media narratives suggest.

 

According to international statistics, average life expectancy in Iran had not yet reached 60 years prior to the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

 

Life Expectancy: A Wide Urban–Rural Divide

Life expectancy at birth is widely recognized as one of the most important indicators of a country’s development and healthcare standards.

 

Data cited by the United Nations show that in the final years of the Pahlavi government, Iran’s average life expectancy stood at approximately 55 to 57 years. On the eve of the 1979 revolution, it had risen to roughly 60 to 61 years, still below the global average at the time.

 

Statistics also reveal a significant disparity between urban and rural areas, particularly between the capital and smaller towns or marginalized regions.

While certain urban centers experienced modernization, large segments of the population—especially in rural communities—had limited access to adequate healthcare services.

 

Comparatively, neighboring countries such as Iraq and Turkey recorded stronger performance in this indicator during the same period, suggesting that Iran lagged behind parts of the region in overall life expectancy.

 

According to the United Nations’ 2025 Human Development Index report, life expectancy in Iran has since increased to nearly 78 years, reflecting substantial long-term changes in health and development indicators.

 

Infant and Child Mortality Rates

Infant and under-five mortality rates remain among the most telling measures of deprivation in a society.

 

Before the revolution, factors such as poverty, malnutrition, inadequate maternal healthcare, and the absence of widespread vaccination programs contributed to high mortality levels.

 

Based on data from UNICEF and official statistics from that era, more than 100 out of every 1,000 live births—approximately 10 percent—resulted in infant deaths during birth or in the first months of life.

Conditions were reportedly more severe in rural and underprivileged areas. By comparison, regional data from the same period indicate that Iraq’s child mortality rate stood at approximately 62 per 1,000 live births, while in Kuwait the figure was around 38 per 1,000—both considerably lower than Iran’s reported rate at the time.

 

Literacy and Social Inequality

Literacy rates also highlight structural disparities during the Pahlavi era. While modern schools and universities were available in Tehran and select major cities—primarily serving a relatively affluent minority—large portions of the population, particularly in rural regions, lacked access to basic education.

 

According to the last pre-revolution census conducted in 1975, the literacy rate among individuals aged 15 and above stood at approximately 37 percent.

 

This means that more than 60 percent of the population—including a significant majority of rural women—were unable to read or write.

 

By contrast, literacy in Turkey during the same period was reported at around 62 percent, roughly one and a half times higher than Iran’s rate.

 

The global average literacy rate in 1975 was approximately 65 percent, underscoring the gap between Iran and international benchmarks at the time.

Contrasting Historical Data and Media Narratives

An examination of these development indicators suggests that portrayals of the Pahlavi era as an unequivocal “golden age” are inconsistent with available historical statistics.

 

The data point to substantial socio-economic disparities, limited access to healthcare in many regions, and widespread illiteracy among large segments of the population.

 

While parts of Iranian society experienced modernization and economic growth during that period, international development figures reflect a country facing significant structural challenges in public health, education, and social equity.