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Theadministrative divisions of Iran are arranged in four levels, the first level of which is theprovince (Persian:استان:ostān). Provinces are divided intocounties (شهرستان:shahrestān); counties are divided intodistricts (بخش:bakhsh); and districts are divided intorural districts (دهستان:dehestān) and cities (شهر:shahr). Rural districts contain villages and other population points. One of the cities of the county is appointed as the capital (مرکز:markaz, or center) of the county.[1]
According to the Statistical Center of Iran, the figures are as follows, as of March 2016[update] (end ofIranian calendar 1394):[2]
| English | Persian singular | Persian plural | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provinces | استانostān | استانهاostānhā | 31 |
| Counties | شهرستانshahrestān | شهرستانهاshahrestānhā | 429 |
| Districts | بخشbakhsh | بخشهاbakhshhā | 1057 |
| Rural Districts | دهستانdehestān | دهستانهاdehestānhā | 2589 |
| Cities | شهرshahr | شهرهاshahrhā | 1245 |
The total population of a province is the total of its counties.
The total population of a county is the total of its districts.
The total population of a district is the total of its cities and rural districts.
To better understand these subdivisions, the following table forSepidan County inFars province (as it existed in 2006) is an example showing the hierarchy of a county's divisions:
| Administrative division | Pop. |
|---|---|
| Central District | 24,059 |
| Khafri Rural District | 4,035 |
| Komehr Rural District | 3,812 |
| Ardakan (city) | 16,212 |
| Beyza District[a] | 36,694 |
| Banesh Rural District | 9,718 |
| Beyza Rural District | 13,761 |
| Kushk-e Hezar Rural District | 9,622 |
| Beyza (city) | 3,593 |
| Hamaijan District | 27,048 |
| Hamaijan Rural District | 15,449 |
| Shesh Pir Rural District | 8,197 |
| Sornabad Rural District | 3,402 |
| Total | 87,801 |
