On May 17, the state-run newspaper Ham Mihan examined the situation of children in Iran living below the poverty line. In its introduction, the outlet wrote: “Around 23 million people live in areas that can be called ‘urban poverty traps.'”
Ham Mihan further states: “Studies by the Social Welfare Office of the Ministry of Labor show that a high percentage of Iranian children live in households suffering from monetary poverty (38% of children are below the poverty line). Household income-expenditure data from 2019 indicate that about 50% of parents lack upper secondary education, a figure that rises to approximately 70% in Sistan and Baluchestan.”
The future of children living below the poverty line
Mahtab Hajimohammadi, a member of the Iranian Peace Studies Association, who spoke alongside Kamal Athari at a conference marking International Day of Families, discussed the future of Iranian children in underprivileged families living below the poverty line.
Educational Disaster in Iran: 70% of Students Suffering from Learning Poverty
She said: “Children from disadvantaged families face serious challenges that limit their growth and potential. These limitations are not just economic. In such circumstances, poverty goes beyond financial hardship and, due to the political and social structures of the country, leads to deeper deprivation, where underprivileged individuals are unable to access even minimal welfare services.”
According to Hajimohammadi, the lack of economic, social, cultural, and symbolic capital prevents children from accessing equal opportunities, and class divisions grow as poverty and inflation increase.
Life of 38% of Iranian children in households below the poverty line
In Iran, poverty affects not only millions of families but also jeopardizes the future of children. According to reports, 38% of Iranian children live in households suffering from monetary poverty—a shocking figure that highlights the depth of the country’s economic and social crisis. These children are victims of a system plagued by mismanagement and disregard for social policies, trapping them in a merciless cycle of poverty, violence, and deprivation.
Underprivileged children, victims of multidimensional poverty
Children born into marginalized and underprivileged families face multiple vulnerabilities from the very beginning of life. These children are deprived not only of proper nutrition, emotional support, and psychological care, but also grapple with threats such as child marriage, school dropout, neglectful parenting, and even physical and sexual abuse. Multidimensional poverty—which extends beyond income scarcity to include deprivation in education, health, and basic services—shortens their childhood and prematurely pushes them into adult roles.
Protest rallies and marches by retirees, workers, and students in Iran
According to a UNICEF report, inequality in access to public services such as healthcare and education traps poor children in a lifelong cycle of deprivation. For example, child laborers—whose numbers are estimated between 2 to 7 million—often work in unsafe and unhealthy conditions and are deprived of the right to education, a reality that perpetuates the cycle of poverty for Iran’s children and future generations.
Educational inequality: a future at risk
The crisis of educational poverty in Iran is a warning bell for the future of generations. A report by the Research Center of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (parliament) shows that 42% of Iranian children face educational poverty, a condition directly linked to their families’ economic hardship. Furthermore, 41% of Iranian students do not reach the minimum global reading literacy level, a figure that highlights the deep educational divide between privileged and deprived segments of society.
Increasing Poverty and High School Students Entering the Workforce in Iran https://t.co/NFTYLW2quE pic.twitter.com/I6XmoKSGYP
— Iran Focus (@Iran_Focus) December 16, 2024
The reduction in public education funding, along with rising educational costs for families, has forced many children to drop out of school.
Economic policies that have fueled urban marginalization and social isolation have pushed children into forced labor, early marriage, and even delinquency. Reports show that child laborers are exposed to physical and mental illnesses, malnutrition, and various forms of abuse, while the regime has failed to present any comprehensive plan to address these issues.
