'People are getting poorer': How Iran's struggling economy is changing how families live
#Iran economy #inflation crisis #rial devaluation #sanctions impact #protests #living standards #food prices #currency crisis
📌 Key Takeaways
- Iran's inflation has doubled food prices in the past year
- The rial has lost over 95% of its value since 2018
- Economic struggles have triggered nationwide protests against the regime
- Average household expenditure has fallen by a quarter in urban areas over 20 years
📖 Full Retelling
Iranian families across major cities like Isfahan, Tehran, and Karaj are facing a severe economic crisis with soaring inflation and declining living standards, as the cost of basic necessities has doubled in the past year while the national currency has lost over 95% of its value since 2018 due to international sanctions and government economic policies. The economic struggle has forced many Iranians to drastically alter their lifestyles, with families cutting back on dining out, vacations, and even basic food items as prices for essentials like beef have nearly tripled in just two months. For small business owners like Marjan, who once earned approximately $185 monthly selling wooden crafts on Instagram, recent internet blackouts during protests have devastated their income, leaving many considering selling assets like cars just to cover basic expenses. The economic deterioration has sparked nationwide protests that began as reactions to the spiraling cost of living but evolved into broader demonstrations against the regime, with security forces brutally suppressing dissent that has killed thousands of people. The Central Bank of Iran reports that the average family food basket now costs eight times what it did five years ago and more than 30 times what it was in 2016, with annual consumption of beef and lamb per household declining from 64kg in 2004/05 to just 32kg in 2024/25 as families shift to cheaper alternatives.
🏷️ Themes
Economic Crisis, Inflation, Sanctions Impact, Social Unrest
📚 Related People & Topics
Economy of Iran
Iran has a mixed, centrally planned economy with a large public sector. It consists of hydrocarbon, agricultural and service sectors, in addition to manufacturing and financial services, with over 40 industries traded on the Tehran Stock Exchange. With 10% of the world's proven oil reserves and 15% ...
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Original Source
'People are getting poorer': How Iran's struggling economy is changing how families live 15 minutes ago Share Save Behrang Tajdin , Economics correspondent, BBC Persian and Ghoncheh Habibiazad , Senior reporter, BBC Persian Share Save "We used to eat out twice a month," says Marjan, who lives in Iran's second largest city, Isfahan. "Now we just can't. We have to save that money to pay the rent." For the last six years, she had been selling wooden crafts and keyrings through a page on Instagram - one of hundreds of thousands of Iranian women making a living that way. When the government imposed an internet blackout in early January as part of a brutal crackdown on nationwide protests, these women suddenly found themselves with no income. "Even once the internet came back, things just weren't the same." says Marjan. "Our sales used to be 300 million rials (around $185 on the open market) per month. Now it's not even 30 million rials." She and her husband are seriously considering selling their car to pay back their loans and keep up with the rent. "If things carry on like this, I'll probably have to look for a new job," she says. "The problem is that pretty much every line of work is struggling at the moment, so even that is not a realistic plan B." The protests began as a reaction to the spiralling cost of living and soon focused on the whole regime, whose policies people blamed for their difficulties. The economic situation has worsened in the weeks since the protests erupted. 'Just incomprehensible' Affording the basic necessities of life is becoming an increasing struggle for many Iranians because of high inflation. "Just two months ago, beef was 7m rials per kilo," says Mina, a 44-year-old mother of two in Tehran. "But I bought some the day before yesterday for 19m rials a kilo - more than double. I bought Iranian rice in the late summer for 1.7m rials a kilo, now it's 3.8m." The official figures show that in the past 12 months, the price of basic necessities has...
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