A new report by the Statistical Center of Iran shows that food inflation in March and April this year reached 115% compared to the same period last year, a figure reflecting the continuation of the severe inflation crisis and the unprecedented decline in people’s purchasing power, especially among workers and low-income groups.
According to the report, point-to-point inflation for all goods and services was also announced at 73.5%, meaning Iranian households must pay on average more than 70% extra to purchase the same basket of goods and services as last year.
The Statistical Center also estimated annual inflation for March and April at 53.7%, while the Central Bank of the Iranian regime had recently announced the figure as 50.6%. The discrepancy between official statistics has once again increased uncertainty regarding the true scale of the economic crisis.
The International Monetary Fund has also predicted that Iran’s inflation rate will reach 69% during the current year. If realized, this would place Iran after Venezuela and Sudan as the country with the world’s third-highest inflation rate.
Inflation and rising prices in Iran have become one of the country’s main livelihood crises in recent years. The collapse of the national currency’s value, structural corruption, the heavy costs of the regime’s military and regional projects, sanctions, and chronic economic mismanagement have continuously driven up the prices of essential goods. In recent years, items such as meat, rice, cooking oil, dairy products, and bread have repeatedly experienced sharp price increases, forcing many households to gradually remove these products from their tables. Economic experts warn that the continuation of this trend could lead to expanding poverty, malnutrition, and growing social unrest.
