35 percent of Iranians are on the brink of malnutrition

The Director-General of the Economic Studies Office of Iranian Parliamentary Research Center Musa Shahbazi stated that the poverty rate of the total population has reached 35 percent, according to Iranian Tasnim News Agency.

"The average consumption of goods has decreased a lot in recent years, so that in the first to third deciles, calorie consumption has decreased, and also meat consumption has decreased and turned into chicken and egg consumption,” Shahbazi told the Iranian media. 

He also underlined that the consumption of meat is 25 grams per person each month during the same period.

Shahbazi also pointed out the critical increase in the price of chicken and eggs in a year which have risen by 84 percent and 88 percent, respectively. 

The government's food security policies have remained completely unsuccessful to cope with the inflation on the prices of basic goods. He also added there are various reasons which have caused high inflation. He didn’t specify them, however. 

Malnutrition risk

According to Iran’s Statistical Center, people from seventeen provinces of the country are at the risk of malnutrition as overall commodity prices have increased nearly two times compared to last year. 

Prices of 20 basic goods out of 96, such as summer vegetables, fruits, legumes and rice, have seen more than a hundred percent increase in the same period.

Furthermore, the inflation rate could reach 450 percent in certain basic goods such as soybean meal.

Reports published by the Parliamentary Research Center and the Statistical Center shows that at least 28 million people are currently malnourished and calorie deficit.

Nearly 1.5 million people have lost their jobs in a year in Iran where official figures claim 9.8 percent of unemployment.

However, the unemployment rate in the spring would reach 24 percent if employed and unemployed people added to the inactive population remained in the labour market.

Since 2018, Iran’s economy has long been suffering the US President Donald Trump decision for reimposing economic sanctions on Tehran.

Figures by OPEC show Iranian oil exports have declined because of sanctions from an average of 3.9 million barrels per day to 2 million barrels.

On the other hand, the country's economy, which heavily relies on oil export, was harmed by decreasing oil price in recent years.

Together with the coronavirus pandemic, the economic problems heavily hit the social and economic life of Iranians.