Human capital flight from Iran

Human capital flight from Iran has been a significant phenomenon since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.[1] According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Iran had a substantial drain of highly skilled and educated individuals (15 percent) in the early 1990s.[2] More than 150,000 Iranians left the Islamic Republic every year in the early 1990s,[3] and an estimated 25 percent of all Iranians with post-secondary education then lived abroad in OECD-standard developed countries.[2][4] A 2009 IMF report indicated that Iran tops the list of countries that are losing their academic elite, with a loss of 150,000 to 180,000 specialists—roughly equivalent to a capital loss of US$50 billion.[5][6][7] In addition, the political crackdown following the 2009 Iranian election protests is said to have created a "spreading refugee exodus" of Iranian intelligentsia.[8] It has also been reported that the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States is running a covert operation code-named "Braindrain Project" with the aim of luring away nuclear-oriented Iranian talent, thus undermining Iran's nuclear program.[9]

In February 2024, the Iranian government initiated efforts to stem the flow of educated individuals leaving the country, focusing on increased surveillance and potential restrictions on movement.[10][11]

  1. ^ Mahmoudi, Hassan (21 April 2021). "Iran Loses Highly Educated and Skilled Citizens during Long-Running "Brain Drain"". migrationpolicy.org. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  2. ^ a b "IMF research economist Enrica Detragiache and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics economist William J. Carrington in the IMF's quarterly magazine, Finance and Development (v. 36, n. 2 (July 1999)". Archived from the original on 31 August 2009. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  3. ^ Frances Harrison (8 January 2007). "Huge cost of Iranian brain drain". BBC News. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2008.
  4. ^ "Clarification On The 'Brain Drain.'". Rferl.org. 12 April 2004. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  5. ^ "Iran Faced With Growing Brain Drain: Report". payvand.com. Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  6. ^ "Iran Faces Pressure to Provide Jobs, Address Health Disparities by Yvette Collymore". Prb.org. 7 September 2004. Archived from the original on 20 September 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  7. ^ Harrison, Frances (8 January 2007). "Huge cost of Iranian brain drain". BBC News. Archived from the original on 9 January 2007. Retrieved 8 January 2007.
  8. ^ "Iran's refugee exodus is exacerbating a brain drain that has stunted the country's development for years." Thousands Flee Iran as Noose Tightens DECEMBER 11, 2009
  9. ^ Sanger, David E. (10 June 2010). "Beyond Iran Sanctions, Plans B, C, D and". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 25 July 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  10. ^ "برخورد با دفاتر مهاجرتی برای جلوگیری از مهاجرت بیشتر نخبگان از ایران".
  11. ^ "همکاری بنیاد نخبگان و پلیس گذرنامه؛ مهاجرت هم امنیتی شد".