The state-run magazine Niniban published a report on April 29 regarding rising food prices. The report stated: “This is where the story of single-child families diverges from that of large families; when demands multiply with the number of family members, inflation bends the family’s back even further.” Reports indicate that prices have surged sharply, and the share of food expenses in household budgets, especially among lower-income deciles, has reached dangerous levels.
Large families are struggling with the challenge of rising food prices, and the scale of the problem is growing daily. As the economic crisis in Iran deepens each day, reports published by state-run media outlets unintentionally reveal the depth of this crisis. The issue of rising food costs and food shortages has become one of the main challenges facing families.
Also on April 29, the state-run media outlet Chandsanieh wrote in its report that rising food prices have placed significant pressure on household living expenses.
The report emphasized that children do not directly understand inflation. They simply express their everyday needs and desires. However, under conditions of soaring food prices, these demands have become a factor increasing economic pressure on families.
Rising food prices and the divide among families
The report discusses the difference between single-child families and large families. In smaller households, there is still some ability to manage expenses. Parents can reduce certain costs, including cutting back on entertainment or reducing purchases of some food items. Under such circumstances, rising food prices appear as a more limited form of pressure.
In contrast, large families face a different reality. In these households, every price increase has a multiplied effect. For example, an increase in the price of essential goods such as cooking oil or dairy products does not affect just one purchase. It disrupts the family’s entire monthly food plan. As a result, rising food prices have become a permanent crisis in the lives of these families.
The impact of rising food prices on children’s nutrition
The published report shows that in single-child families, there is still some possibility of maintaining a minimum level of nutritional quality. Parents try to preserve the child’s food share. However, in families with several children, this possibility is gradually disappearing. Under these conditions, rising food prices directly affect children’s meals.
Reduced consumption of nutritious foods such as fruit, dairy products, and protein is one consequence of this situation. Families are turning toward cheaper products, which usually have lower nutritional value. As a result, inflation is not only an economic issue but also a threat to the health of the future generation.
Changes in family consumption patterns under soaring inflation and rising prices
The report further states that large families have been forced to change their lifestyles. Every day, they eliminate part of their needs. These cuts often begin with essential items.
Under such conditions, rising food prices have become the determining factor in everyday choices.
These families face a constant dilemma. They must decide which need to eliminate. Over time, this situation creates significant psychological pressure. It also causes a widespread decline in quality of life.
Inflation and hidden inequality
In official statistics, all families may appear to be on the same level. However, realities on the ground reveal deep differences. Rising food prices are a challenge for single-child families, but for large families, they have become a forced way of life.
This lifestyle not only shrinks today’s dining table but also affects the future of children. Declining nutritional quality can have long-term consequences. This issue is especially evident among lower-income segments of society.
What emerges from this report is a clear picture of the depth of the livelihood crisis in Iran. Rising food prices are no longer a temporary problem. This situation has become part of the structure of people’s daily lives. The main burden of this crisis falls on large families. These conditions demonstrate the deep inefficiency of the economic structure and its inability to provide minimum living standards for citizens.
This inability stems from wasting the people’s resources on futile expenditures and the regime’s warmongering policies, which require destructive strategies for survival, the cost of which is borne by the people. Therefore, this corrupt and anti-people regime should not rule Iran and will undoubtedly be overthrown by brave and freedom-loving rebels.
