Iran Secures Second Place Among Islamic Nations in SCImago 2024 Rankings!
Iran is making significant strides in the global academic landscape, as evidenced by the SCImago 2024 rankings. With over 75,501 documents published, the country has secured its position as the second among Islamic nations and 17th globally. This article delves into the latest statistics, trends, and future aspirations of Iran’s academic institutions.
According to the recent report from the SCImago 2024, Iran’s academic output has seen fluctuations over the past few years:
- Current Rank: 17th globally, with a drop from the previous year.
- Total Documents: 75,501 documents published by Iran.
- Comparison with Neighbors: Turkey leads with 82,150 documents, while Saudi Arabia follows closely with 72,167.
In 2022, Iran published over 78,000 documents in Scopus, but this number fell to approximately 74,000 in 2023. However, there has been a positive trend in 2024, although it has not yet reached the figures of 2022.
On the citation front, Iran also holds a commendable position:
- Citations: 89,492, placing Iran second regionally and 15th globally.
- Improvement: Iran’s global ranking in citations has improved from 19 to 15 over the last five years.
In comparison, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have significantly higher citation counts, with 121,838 and 81,106, respectively. The top three in the global SCImago rankings include:
- China: 1,215,824 documents
- United States: 743,884 documents
- India: 351,928 documents
Looking ahead, Iran aims to enhance its global ranking for scientific production from the current 17th to 12th by 2027. However, this goal is hampered by challenges such as:
- Sanctions: Economic restrictions affecting scholarly publishing.
- Publishing Limitations: Restrictions on Iranian scholars have contributed to the decline in rankings.
Shahin Akhoundzadeh, an official from the health ministry, emphasized the need for strategic investments to bolster the country’s scientific production. He stated:
“Advancement in science production requires compensating for the regression in research and technology through providing funds, facilitating research, and promoting meritocracy.”
Furthermore, the SCImago Institutions Rankings (SIR) 2025 has recognized 195 Iranian universities among the top institutions globally, a slight decrease from 197 in 2024. The SIR ranking evaluates institutions based on a composite indicator derived from research performance, innovation outputs, and societal impact, which includes:
- Research Ranking: Volume, impact, and quality of research output.
- Innovation Ranking: Number of patent applications and citations from patents.
- Societal Ranking: Web visibility, number of backlinks, and mentions on social networks.
The top five institutions in this year’s ranking include:
- Tehran University of Medical Sciences
- University of Tehran
- Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Health Services
- Tabriz University of Medical Sciences
- Iran University of Medical Sciences
Tehran University of Medical Sciences has achieved remarkable rankings in West Asia and globally:
- First in West Asia: Overall ranking
- Sixth Globally: Overall ranking
- Best in Dentistry: First in West Asia, 37th globally
The University of Tehran is also noteworthy, being:
- First in Iran
- Second in West Asia
- 11th globally
Shahid Beheshti University ranks second in Iran and fourth in West Asia, with a global ranking of 17th. The university excels in Dentistry, ranking fifth in West Asia and 68th globally.
Tabriz University of Medical Sciences and Iran University of Medical Sciences are also making their mark, ranking 23rd and 24th globally, respectively, with notable achievements in pharmacology and obstetrics.
In addition to SCImago, the latest rankings from Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject 2025 highlight:
- 17 Iranian universities recognized in 21 subject entries.
- Improvement in rankings across Engineering, Life Sciences, Medicine, and Natural Sciences.
The University of Tehran leads with a global ranking of 280, followed by Sharif University of Technology, which has shown remarkable improvement, rising to 292 from 410-450 the previous year. Other institutions like Amirkabir University of Technology and Iran University of Science and Technology are also included in the QS rankings.
Furthermore, the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2025 includes 85 Iranian universities, showcasing their international outlook and performance in various subject areas. Notably:
- Sharif University of Technology holds a global ranking of 301-350.
- Amirkabir University and Iran University of Science and Technology rank 351–400.
- University of Tehran ranks among the leading institutions in multiple disciplines.
These rankings reflect Iran’s commitment to enhancing its academic output and reputation on the global stage, despite facing various challenges. The focus remains on improving research quality, innovation, and societal impact to achieve higher rankings in the future.
