In 2020, Iran struggled to cope with the pandemic under the weight of U.S. sanctions. It initially faced difficulties in importing vaccines and producing its own shots. But in the second half of 2021, it ramped up its vaccination campaign. As of February 2022, Iran had fully vaccinated 65 percent of adults – about the same rate as in the United States. Iran’s vaccination rate fell short of rates in many European countries but exceeded rates in most Middle Eastern countries.
Iran had the highest death count in the Middle East in both absolute numbers and relative to its population. Yet Iran’s death toll per million people – 1,575 – was relatively low compared to some world powers.
Garrett Nada, the managing editor of The Iran Primer, assembled the graphs.