The Difference Between 'Iranian' and 'Persian'

The terms Iranian and Persian are often used interchangeably to describe people from Iran, and some people think they mean the same thing, but is one term correct? The terms “Persian” and “Iranian” don’t necessarily mean the same thing. Some people draw a distinction in that Persian relates to a particular ethnicity, and being Iranian is a claim to a certain nationality. Thus, a person could be one without being the other.

The Difference Between Persia and Iran

"Persia" was the official name of Iran in the Western world prior to 1935 when the country and vast surrounding lands were known as Persia (derived from the ancient kingdom of Parsa and the Persian empire). However, Persian people within their country have long called it Iran (often spelled Eran). In 1935, the name Iran came into existence internationally and The Islamic Republic of Iran, with the boundaries in existence today, was founded in 1979 following the revolution which ousted the government of the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (1919–1980).

Generally, “Persia” today refers to Iran because the country formed over the center of the ancient Persian empire and the majority of its original citizens inhabited that land. Modern Iran is comprised of a large number of different ethnic and tribal groups. People who identify as Persian account for the majority, but there are also large numbers of Azeri, Gilaki and Kurdish people, too. While all are citizens of Iran are Iranians, only some can identify their lineage in Persia.

The Revolution of 1979

Citizens weren't called Persian after the revolution of 1979, during which the country’s monarchy was deposed and an Islamic Republic government was put in place. The king, who was considered to be the last Persian monarch and had attempted to modernize the country, fled the country in exile. Today, some consider “Persian” to be an old term that hearkens back to the former days of monarchy, but the term still has cultural value and relevance. Thus, Iran is used in the context of political discussion, while both Iran and Persia are used in cultural context.

Iran Population Composition

In 2015, the CIA World Factbook provided the following percentage breakdown of ethnicity in Iran:

• 61% Persian
• 16% Azeri
• 10% Kurd
• 6% Lur
• 2% Baloch
• 2% Arab
• 2% Turkmen and Turkic Tribes
• 1% other

Note: In 2018, The CIA World Factbook stated that Iran's ethnic groups are Persian, Azeri, Kurd, Lur, Baloch, Arab, Turkmen and Turkic tribes. The CIA World Factbook no longer provides percentage breakdowns of Iran's ethnic groups.

Official Language of Iran

In 2015, the CIA World Factbook provided the following percentage breakdown of languages in Iran:

• 53 percent of Iranians speak Persian or a Persian dialect
• 18 percent speak Turkic and Turkic dialects
• 10 percent speak Kurdish
• 7 percent speak Gilaki and Mazandarani
• 6 percent speak Luri
• 2 percent speak Balochi
• 2 percent speak Arabic
• 2 percent speak other languages

Note: In 2018, The CIA World Factbook stated that Iran's languages are Persian Farsi, Azeri and other Turkic dialects, Kurdish, Gilaki and Mazandarani, Luri, Balochi, and Arabic. The CIA World Factbook no longer provides percentage breakdowns of Iran's languages.

Are Persians Arabs?

Persians are not Arabs.

1. Arab people live in the Arab world made up of 22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa including Algeria, Bahrain, the Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine and more. Persians live in Iran to the Indus River of Pakistan and to Turkey in the west.
2. Arabs trace their ancestry to the original inhabitants of tribes of Arabia from the Syrian Desert and Arabian Peninsula; Persians are a part of the Iranian inhabitants.
3. Arabs speak Arabic; Persians speak Iranian languages and dialects.