Khamenei Reiterates Need for Increasing Iran’s Population
The Leader of the Islamic Republic has once again emphasized the pursuit of population growth policies.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday, May 18th, in a message read at a meeting of the National Population Headquarters, described the aging of Iran’s population in the future as “horrifying” and considered efforts to increase the population as one of the “most essential duties” of officials and the people.
Ali Khamenei called population growth a “vital policy” for Iran’s future and stressed the necessity of cultural development in public spaces and the healthcare system.
Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s President, also obligated all government agencies to take measures toward implementing the “Population and Family Excellence Law.” Ebrahim Raisi also emphasized the importance of providing banking facilities to support childbearing and said: “The regulations related to providing facilities for banks must be prepared and implemented as quickly as possible.”
Providing childbearing loans, granting facilities to solve housing problems for married couples, and prohibiting screening in the early months of pregnancy are among the measures that the Iranian government has considered and implemented to increase marriage and birth rates.
The non-provision of public and affordable services to prevent pregnancy is another measure taken by the Iranian government in this regard.
This is while experts consider the lack of free distribution and subsidized contraception in Iran to be “destructive” and “devastating,” saying this law will lead to increased unwanted pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
Since November 2013 when Ayatollah Khamenei spoke of increasing Iran’s population to 150 million, government policies have changed in line with his remarks, and in addition to approving plans in this field, the Islamic Republic has also promoted childbearing through various means such as textbook content, media, and the installation of advertising billboards throughout the city.
However, in recent years, economic problems, housing prices, and unemployment rates have increased, and statistics on marriage and childbearing in Iran have declined.
IRNA News Agency reported in early May this year that in the period between 2011 and 2020, the number of marriages showed a declining trend, with the figure showing a decline of more than 36 percent.
Beyond economic and livelihood problems, Iran is also struggling with issues such as water scarcity, air pollution, and the destruction of forests and rangelands.
According to government officials, eight thousand villages currently need water supply by tanker.
Source: Voice of America
