Growing poverty and vanishing middle class in Iran cause alarm
Iran has eliminated the middle class Poverty is becoming a severe concern in Iran, and the Iranian people are facing an unfavorable situation, especially amid ongoing international sanctions. Poverty has become the defining characteristic of the country, with the prices of goods soaring to unaffordable levels for most households.
In Iran, there used to be three social classes, but over time, the middle class has vanished due to difficult living and economic conditions in the country. Basic meals have become a recurring daily crisis for families.
Skyrocketing Prices
The cost of living in Iran has reached unprecedented levels, particularly with red meat prices in Iran hitting 500,000 tomans, equivalent to 10 US dollars per kilogram. With every increase in food prices, Iranian families lose a portion of their meals from their tables, and the economic conditions in Iran have become extremely dire to the point that even government supporters have started to complain.
Due to economic problems and rising inflation rates in the country, nearly 20 million Iranian citizens are estimated to have inadequate living conditions, and approximately three million families live in abject poverty.
Disappearance of the Middle Class
Economic crises in Iran have caused demographic changes in the middle-class population. This has led to internal migration within cities like Tehran, where many from this middle class have moved from higher or mid-level areas in the capital to cheaper, lower-income areas.
The average monthly salary in 2018 ranged from 400 to 700 US dollars, but it suddenly dropped with rising prices to between 150 and 200 dollars. Additionally, household spending in cities during 2017 before the US withdrew from the nuclear agreement was 76.75 million rials. This doubled to 160 million rials in the past year.
Iranian specialist Samia Asala explains that due to inflation over the past year or two, housing, rent, living, and inflation conditions have marginalized the middle class in Tehran and its surrounding cities further.
Asala emphasized that this could lead to various social and political problems in the near future, especially with the increase in sanctions on Iran. However, Iran’s recent accession to the BRICS may push the country towards a new economic direction with a positive government vision. But this won’t happen if protests against the dictatorial regime continue.
Mohsen Beir Hadi warned of an increase in the number of people living below the poverty line in Iran, saying, “Economic collapses for certain segments of society over the past decade have led to increased marginalization, addiction rates, corruption, and migration to major cities.” He added that if we are not serious about organizing and dealing with these issues in the Seventh Development Plan, we will soon face a serious crisis in social health across the country.
