Iran has the largest Shia population of any country in the world. Photograph: Majid Saeedi/Getty ImagesJust as with Christianity, there are many denominations in Islam, with two major ones – Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims. Iran has the largest Shia population of any country in the world, at 90 to 95 per cent of its 92 million people. Iran and Iraq fought a prolonged and bitter war between 1980 and 1988, despite Iraq’s large Shia population. Another country in the region with a substantial Shia population is Lebanon, where 31 per cent of its total population of 5.8 million are Shia.

Source: The Irish Times March 08, 2026 11:33 UTC