According to the 2016 Iranian census, the city of Isfahan has a population of approximately 1.96 million, making it the third-most populous city in Iran after Tehran and Mashhad. The wider metropolitan area hosts over 3 million residents. The city has seen steady population growth driven by industrialization and rural-to-urban migration.
The population is predominantly ethnic Persian, speaking the Isfahani dialect of the Persian language. The city is overwhelmingly Shia Muslim, but it maintains notable historical minority communities. The most significant is the Armenian Christian community centered in the New Julfa (Jolfa) district, which has existed since the early 17th century. A small but historically deeply rooted Jewish community also resides in Isfahan, concentrated around the ancient Jubareh neighborhood.