Malnutrition is prevalent among low-income people; prices of six dairy products increased by 107 percent

News published in Iranian media indicates an 8% increase in rents for residential units in urban areas, an increase in the prevalence of malnutrition among low-income groups, and an increase in the gap between workers' salaries and the cost of living in Iran.

• Increase in rents for residential units in urban areas

The Statistical Center of Iran published a report announcing an increase in the rental price index for residential units in urban areas in the summer of 1400.

The Statistical Center of Iran announced on Saturday, October 8, that the rental index in the summer of 1402 reached 244.1, an increase of 8 percent compared to the previous season.

The report adds that in the summer, Lorestan province had the highest seasonal inflation rate with 27.5 percent, and Sistan and Baluchestan province had the lowest rate with 2.5 percent among the provinces of Iran.

• Increasing prevalence of malnutrition among low-income groups

The Secretary-General of the Nutrition Improvement Office of the Ministry of Health reported an increase in the prevalence of malnutrition among children under five years of age, pregnant mothers, and adolescents in low income deciles, especially in deprived areas of the country.

According to ILNA news agency, Zahra Abdollahi, announcing this news and referring to the increase in "food insecurity," said that the risk of food insecurity in the country has increased due to the increase in food prices and inflation. She added that the conditions in some deprived regions of Iran, including Sistan and Baluchestan, Hormozgan, Kerman, South Khorasan, and Khuzestan, are more unfavorable in terms of food security than other regions of Iran.

Ms. Abdullahi said that urgent measures must be taken to curb the rising prices of food products, especially animal proteins such as meat, chicken, eggs, milk, and dairy products, which are very difficult to access and whose consumption has been reduced or eliminated.

This is while ISNA news agency reported a 61 to 107 percent increase in the prices of six dairy products last month, writing that in September of this year, the price of one kilogram of yogurt increased by 75.7 percent, that of one liter bottle of milk by 69.2 percent, that of half a kilogram of cheese by 68.4 percent, that of a 100-gram package of butter by 107.5 percent, that of a 200-gram package of cream by 69.7 percent, and that of one and a half liters of buttermilk by 61.4 percent compared to September of last year.

• Increasing gap between workers' salaries and the cost of living

The head of the Contract Workers Union says that the salaries and wages of Iranian workers and retirees are at the lowest levels of the salary scale compared to other countries.

Referring to the lack of balance between wages and costs, Fathullah Bayat said that we are still facing "wage backwardness."

The head of the Contractual Workers Union, emphasizing the need to make workers' wages realistic, said in an interview with ISNA News Agency that currently the monthly cost of the livelihood basket is more than 10 million tomans and the salary received by a worker is four million tomans.

He continued, pointing out that workers' livelihood basket costs include expenses such as food, medical care, rent, and transportation, adding that even if inflation is contained, we must still work towards reducing the gap between the minimum wage and livelihood costs.

Source: Voice of America