The Iranian regime’s Statistics Center states that 27% of Iranians live on a daily income of two dollars, meaning that one-third of the country’s population cannot afford the basic necessities of life. Additionally, the Global Hunger Index (GHI) indicates that 6.5% of Iran’s population suffers from malnutrition.
Meanwhile, Iranian citizens report that as the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar has surged to nearly 900,000 rials, the prices of essential goods have multiplied, forcing them to eliminate many other items from their household budgets.
The Statistics Center’s report pertains to January, when the exchange rate was around 795,000 rials per dollar. Given the current exchange rate, the real income of the same 27% of Iranians has now fallen below two dollars per day.
The Intensified Economic Crisis for Female Breadwinners in Iran
Low-income families are forced to switch to cheaper food items with each price surge. They replace red meat with chicken, then substitute chicken with eggs, and eventually resort to legumes and potatoes instead of eggs.
The latest report from Iran’s Statistics Center indicates that more than one-third of food items consumed by Iranian households have seen price hikes ranging from 40% to 103% compared to January 2024. The steepest price increases have been in legumes and fruits.
It should be noted that the Statistics Center’s report is based on official prices. For instance, the official price of one kilogram of potatoes is recorded at 320,000 rials, whereas in fruit and vegetable markets, potatoes are actually being sold for 360,000 rials.
Some Tehran residents have even purchased potatoes at a rate of 600,000 rials per kilogram.
If a four-member family wants to eat only egg sandwiches, they would have to spend half of their daily income.
A citizen living in eastern Tehran is currently paying 200 million rials (approximately 236 dollars) in rent for an apartment, but a real estate agency has stated that the rent for this 60-square-meter apartment has now risen to 400 million rials.
It is worth mentioning that the minimum wage for a worker with two children is currently around 130 dollars.
Massoud Pezeshkian, the Iranian regime’s president, acknowledged the dire state of people’s livelihoods and high inflation on Monday, February 3, calling the situation unacceptable. He stated that some economic issues are beyond the government’s control. Despite this admission of powerlessness, he has promised that the government will take “good measures” before the Iranian New Year (March 21) to “ensure food security for the people.”
Prices are generally higher in Tehran, but economic hardship and financial pressure on low-income families are also severe in underprivileged cities.
For a long time, education has been a secondary priority for people, with food being the primary concern. Many families had already replaced various food items with legumes, but rising prices have now forced them to eliminate even that.
The elimination of meat and eggs as protein sources has led to malnutrition for at least 6.5% of the country’s population. The 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI) places Iran between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. While Lebanon was engaged in military conflict during the review period, Iran has been suffering from malnutrition despite being in a state of peace.
The state-affiliated newspaper Etemad recently reported that the actual figures might be even higher than indicated by the index: “Other studies show signs of malnutrition among Iranians, including 6% moderate underweight, 25% mild underweight, 3% severe stunting, 8% moderate stunting, 21% mild stunting, 1% severe thinness, 5% moderate thinness, and 20% mild thinness.”
Ali-Asghar Maleki, head of the Mutton Meat Union, confirmed that with rising prices coinciding with the increase in the U.S. dollar exchange rate, the market has experienced a decline and stagnation.
It appears that avoiding meat consumption is not limited to the 27% of the population earning less than two dollars per day but extends to a much larger segment of society. This situation has turned meat into a luxury item, affordable only for a small portion of Iranians.
A large portion of a worker’s salary goes toward rent, leaving them to survive on 10 to 20 million rials (approximately 12 to 24 dollars) per month, mainly relying on bread, legumes, and potatoes. However, due to rising prices, even potatoes have recently been removed from workers’ diets.
Some workers have long been substituting meat and chicken with chicken carcasses and feet.
An analysis of the 2024 Global Hunger Index reveals that due to poor nutrition, 5.3% of Iranian children suffer from chronic malnutrition, resulting in stunted growth.
The rising trend in prices, particularly the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar, continues, and Iranian regime officials are not unaware of the economic pressures affecting Iranian families.
Ali Khamenei, the Iranian regime’s Supreme Leader, stated in August 2023 during a meeting with IRGC commanders, “We have passed through much of the difficult path despite its steep slope and are now approaching the peaks.”
However, data from the Statistics Center shows that Iran’s “per capita national income” in 2023 declined by 20% compared to 2011. The report also indicated that in 2023, Iran had become even poorer than before, a reality that is increasingly evident across various economic indicators and statistics.
