Baloch people in Iran
The Baloch are the majority ethnic inhabitants of the region of Sistan and Baluchestan Province in Iran. They speak the Rakhshani and Sarawani dialects of Balochi, an Iranian language. They mainly inhabit mountainous terrains, which have allowed them to maintain a distinct cultural identity and resist domination by neighbouring rulers.
Baloch child from Iranian Balochistan. | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 4 million | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Mainly Sistan and Baluchestan Province | |
| Languages | |
| Balochi (Rakhshani dialect), Persian | |
| Religion | |
| Islam (majority Sunni, minority Shia) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Baloch and other Iranian peoples |
The Baloch are predominantly Muslim, with the vast majority belonging to the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam, but there is also tiny proportion of Shia in Balochistan. Approximately 20-25% of the Baloch population live in Iran. Estimates of the Iranian Baloch population range from 1.5-2 million to as many as 2 million. The majority of the Baloch population reside in Pakistan, and a significant number i.e. 600,000 reside in southern Afghanistan.
Balochistan of Iran has been regarded as the most underdeveloped, desolate, and poorest region of the country. The government of Iran has been trying to reverse this situation by implementing new plans such as the creation of the Chabahar Free Trade Zone.