The state-run Donya-ye Eghtesad newspaper, in its analysis of economic conditions and their correlation with population growth and fertility rates, wrote that the decline in the quality of life has brought Iran to the bottom of the global table, with the population growth reaching six-tenths of a percent.
Donya-ye Eghtesad, on February 15, reported that the population growth rate in Iran in 2022 reached 0.6%, and the fertility rate also reached 1.66 units.
The newspaper emphasized that the fertility rate was over 6.4% in 2016, and the average annual population growth between 1976 and 1986 was 3.91%.
The report highlighted that measures such as childbearing loans, car lotteries, subsidies, and increasing the marriage loan amount by the government have not led to improvements in fertility.
According to the Donya-ye Eghtesad, the Quality-of-Life Index, which measures individuals’ living conditions in various aspects, ranked Iran 80th out of 84 countries in 2023. In such circumstances, households naturally lean towards having fewer children.
The report also noted that economic conditions have negatively impacted marriage and divorce statistics.
In this regard, the Etemad newspaper, in May 2023, reported on a study examining the cumulative statistics of “divorce, marriage, and birth” over the past 14 years, indicating a more pronounced role of economic factors in the fluctuations of these statistics than in the past.
The Etemad report showed that based on statistics published in 2008, there were over 110,000 divorces, more than 881,000 marriages, and over 1.3 million births recorded. These numbers decreased in the fall of 2022 to 146,000 divorces, 391,000 marriages, and 810,000 births.
A review of economic statistics indicates that in 2008, the poverty index was over 35%, the unemployment rate was 10.5%, and the inflation rate was 25.4%. These figures rose in the fall of 2022 to a 52% inflation rate, an 8% unemployment rate, and a poverty index of over 60%.
Some experts believe that the current poverty index has exceeded 60%, and the reduction in the unemployment rate is not due to the government creating jobs but rather because of a decrease in the participation rate influenced by job search discouragement and the unattractiveness of wages.
