Socio-Cultural Strategy

Socio-Cultural Strategy

Population Governance in Iran: A Systematic Review of Structural Barriers and Policy Reforms

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Elham Khodkarqomi 1
Hajieh Bibi Razeghi Nasrabad 2
1 M.A. Student in Women's Studies (Women and Family subfield), Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor of Demography, Faculty of Social Science, University of Tehran, Iran
10.22034/scs.2026.583759.1808
Abstract
This study aims to systematically identify and classify the structural barriers to population policies in Iran and to propose evidence-based corrective mechanisms for addressing these obstacles. Employing a qualitative systematic review with thematic synthesis, the research involved a comprehensive search of Persian-language academic databases—including Noormags, Magiran, SID, Civilica, and Ensani—using keywords related to fertility and population policies. From an initial pool of 40 articles published between 2011 and 2025, 25 were selected for final analysis following screening and quality appraisal using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Data were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding within a qualitative content analysis framework. The findings reveal that structural barriers are organized across four principal dimensions: weaknesses in the policy formulation system, deficiencies in monitoring and implementation mechanisms, substantive and content-related inadequacies, and a pronounced support gap. At the micro level, economic and occupational factors—including job insecurity, financial strain, and housing affordability—alongside socio-cultural determinants such as lifestyle transformations, rising individualism, and the erosion of maternal roles, emerged as the most salient impediments to fertility intentions. Corrective strategies are proposed across three interconnected domains: restructuring the labor market and economic frameworks, redesigning support and welfare services, and fundamentally reforming the legislative and policy architecture. The study concludes that the effectiveness of population policies in Iran hinges upon a paradigmatic shift from merely quantitative policy design toward a structurally grounded, family-centered governance approach, requiring simultaneous institutional, legal, and socio-economic recalibration.
Keywords
Population Policies
Childbearing
Structural Barriers
Youth Population Law
Governance
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 29 May 2026
  • Revise Date 19 September 2026
  • Accept Date 20 September 2026