Inflation hits new high, Iran’s Statistical Center says
Iran's inflation has hit a new peak this year, with the Statistical Center of Iran reporting a general inflation rate of over 35% for February, the highest since last winter.
Iran's inflation has hit a new peak this year, with the Statistical Center of Iran reporting a general inflation rate of over 35% for February, the highest since last winter.
The surge, marked by a monthly inflation exceeding 4% for the first time in the past year, has exacerbated the widespread public discontent, especially as food prices skyrocket. Hundreds of Iranian have sent messages to Iran International complaining about soaring prices.
Official data reveals that food costs are the primary driver of inflation, with rural areas experiencing a higher rate (36%) than urban centers (35.2%). Low-income households are bearing the brunt of this economic strain, particularly in provinces like Semnan, West Azarbaijan, and Hormozgan.
"The point-to-point inflation rate, indicating how much household expenses have changed compared to last year, reached 35.3% in the Persian calendar month of Bahman (ended on February 18)," said the Statistical Center. "This marks the highest inflation rate in 12 months."
Vegetables and legumes saw a staggering 16.9% monthly inflation, while fruits and nuts rose by 8.7%. Conversely, education saw the lowest monthly inflation, below 1%.
Annual inflation has risen by around 40 percent, each year in the past five years, and the rial has lost 95% of its value since 2018 when Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and re-imposed draconian sanctions on the country.
The massive depreciation of the rial and high inflation have drastically increased the cost of living, including expenses for food, housing, and healthcare and driven over 30 percent of the population below the poverty line.
Citizens engaging with Iran International have corroborated these findings, sending videos depicting a sharp rise in essential goods prices.
In the reports, people highlight the increasing pressure on their livelihoods, complaining about the lack of response to their protests and the absence of effective measures to control prices.
One viewer, sharing a video, said that they had purchased only a few kilograms of potatoes, onions, and tomatoes, and the cost of these three items had reached 7,000,000 rials, approximately one-seventeenth of the average monthly Iranian salary.
The simultaneous surge in prices and worsening economic hardship, along with leaked reports of the Islamic Republic's financial aid to its supporters in Lebanon, has drawn significant attention from Iranian citizens.
One Iran International viewer, referring to the high food prices, said in a video: "The Iranian government gives money to the Lebanese, but does not care about its own people."
On Tuesday, Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, met in Tehran with leaders of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, who visited Tehran seeking financial assistance. Meanwhile, Hezbollah in Lebanon has been opening new branches of interest-free loan funds to distribute financial aid from the Islamic Republic.
Tehran has recently allocated more than $10,000 to each war-affected family in Lebanon to help cover rent and household expenses. This aid is distributed among Shiite Lebanese who are supporters of Hezbollah.
Naim Qassem, the newly appointed Secretary-General of Hezbollah, described the funds as a "gift from the Islamic Republic."
Inflation in Iran has reached an uncontrollable level, with the Iranian Statistics Center announcing that the country’s annual inflation rate for the 12 months leading up to February 2025 stands at 32%.
The Iranian currency, rial, has depreciated by more than 50% since September fueling annual inflation, which has hovered around 40% in the past five years.
Citizens hold the Islamic Republic and its policies responsible for their economic hardship and the rising cost of food and medicine.
Even Islamic Republic officials have acknowledged their inability to resolve the current crises.
President Masoud Pezeshkian referring to shortages in various sectors—including energy, which the government labels as imbalances—said:
"Do you think I have a magic box? No. Six months ago, I was walking in Parliament, and now I am the President."
Speaking at a meeting with officials in western Tehran on Thursday, Pezeshkian added:
"Everywhere we look, there is an imbalance—in water, electricity, gas, money, land, schools, and hospital beds. Demand is unlimited, and our capacity is limited."
Meanwhile, on Friday, Mohammad Jamalian, a member of Parliament’s Health Committee, said:
"Currently, 350 to 400 types of medicine are in short supply, and in the best-case scenario, such shortages will worsen within the next one to two months."
