The state-run ILNA news agency reported that Iranian workers’ wages have experienced an unprecedented 261% decline in less than ten years.
In its report on Tuesday, October 7, ILNA wrote: “The base wage of $238 in 2016 has dropped to $91. In other words, the real wage this year is only 0.38 of what workers received in 2016.”
According to ILNA, in March 2016, the U.S. dollar traded at around 3,400 tomans on the open market, and the minimum monthly wage for workers covered by the labor law (excluding benefits such as seniority pay, child allowance, and food subsidies) was 812,000 tomans.
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Therefore, in March 2016, the minimum wage for workers under the labor law, without benefits, amounted to $238, and with benefits, it reached about $300 or slightly more.
The news agency added that amid currency shocks, the devaluation of the national currency, and wage suppression policies, while the value of the dollar has surged 33.5 times, the minimum wage approved by the Supreme Labor Council has risen only about tenfold—from 812,000 tomans in 2016 to roughly 10.4 million tomans this year.
The report emphasized that “accordingly, the minimum wage for workers this year, excluding side benefits, is only $91; even when including general benefits, it may reach around $110.”
According to reports and statements from labor activists—including members of pro-government labor organizations—workers’ purchasing power has drastically declined.
In this regard, Somayeh Golpour, head of the Association of Labor Guilds—a labor organization approved by Iran’s regime—stated on March 11, 2025, that workers’ purchasing power has fallen by 190% compared to thirteen years ago.
According to two clauses in Article 41 of the labor law, the monthly minimum wage for workers must be determined based on the inflation rate and the cost of living for a working household. However, independent labor organizations have consistently stated that the Supreme Labor Council ignores the second clause in its wage decisions.
Workers’ wages only cover 5 to 6 days of monthly expenses
According to the report, independent calculations of the living basket for working families—based on realistic food requirements and a table of basic meals prepared by labor activist Faramarz Tofighi—show that the minimum wage of 15.1 million tomans (about $130) for an average 3.3-member family covers only 12.43% of basic living costs, barely enough for five to six days of expenses each month.
Under these circumstances, Ahmad Meydari, the regime’s minister of labor, cooperatives, and social welfare, has rejected proposals to raise workers’ wages three times in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Malek Hosseini, deputy minister for entrepreneurship and employment, told the state-run Tasnim News Agency on October 4 that the minimum wage this year “was set above the inflation rate,” claiming that the ministry “does not intervene in wages beyond the minimum level.”
At the same time, Tasnim News Agency reported on the vast gap between the minimum wage and the monthly cost of living—over 50 million tomans (500 million rials, about $435)—noting that “many workers have not received their wages on time for months, and these delays have caused serious disruptions in their daily lives.”
The report stated that paying rent or housing installments, medical expenses, basic household needs, and even transportation costs have become major challenges. Economic experts note that delayed wages reduce purchasing power and increase financial pressure on working families, ultimately leading to declining living standards and rising poverty.
As economic hardship worsens, workers’ protests have expanded significantly in recent years. These protests have continued despite increased security and judicial crackdowns by Iran’s regime against workers and wage earners.
