Poverty has become one of the biggest social challenges in Iran. Inefficient economic policies, chronic inflation, and unequal income growth are the main factors behind this crisis.
According to reports, the poverty rate in Iran has significantly increased in recent years, with more than one-third of the population now living below the poverty line.
One of the most important reasons for the spread of poverty is high inflation. In recent years, the prices of essential goods and services have increased at a much faster rate than people’s incomes.
Inflation in the housing sector, in particular, has put significant pressure on households. Many families can no longer afford to buy or even rent suitable housing.
Over 80% of Iranian Households Below the Global Poverty Line
This has forced many people to live in extremely difficult conditions and in underprivileged areas.
Widespread corruption prevents support programs from reaching those who truly need them.
These structural problems have turned poverty from an exception into the norm, making the descent of individuals into lower strata of society a routine occurrence.
Despite vast oil resources and natural wealth, Iran has been unable to implement effective policies for equitable wealth distribution.
The dimensions of poverty in Iran are not limited to economic issues.
Income poverty, which means the inability to meet basic needs such as housing, food, and healthcare, is prevalent, but there are also other aspects such as educational and cultural poverty.
Many children are deprived of education because their families cannot afford tuition and related expenses.
Another major issue is economic policies that exacerbate poverty instead of reducing it.
For example, unjust and inefficient tax policies have increased pressure on the lower income deciles of society.
According to available reports, the poverty rate in Iran has surpassed 30% in recent years. However, this figure is based on the regime’s official statistics.
Many experts and economists present significantly higher figures than this.
In contrast, neighboring countries of Iran show different poverty rates. In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the poverty rate is significantly lower.
For instance, the poverty rate in Qatar is just 0.4%, while in Saudi Arabia, it stands at 13.6%.
These differences reflect the impact of varying economic and social policies in these countries.
In Turkey, the poverty rate has decreased in recent years to around 21.3%, thanks to the implementation of economic and social reform programs in the country.
These statistics indicate that Iran has a higher poverty rate compared to some neighboring countries.
Multiple factors, such as inefficient economic policies, corruption, and unequal resource distribution, may contribute to these differences.
According to available reports, Iran holds 209 billion barrels of oil reserves, accounting for about 18% of the world’s oil reserves, ranking third globally after Venezuela and Saudi Arabia.
Additionally, Iran possesses 32.5 trillion cubic meters of natural gas reserves, making it the world’s second-largest holder of gas reserves after Russia.
The value of Iran’s natural resources is estimated at approximately $27.3 trillion.
However, given Iran’s population of approximately 85 million, the share of these natural resources per individual is lower compared to some countries with similar resources.
