Statistical Center of Iran: Inflation rate in some provinces is above 50 percent

According to the Statistical Center of Iran, inflation rates have been on an upward trend in at least eight provinces of Iran, exceeding 50 percent. Inflation of food products has also been around 60 percent.

Inflation in the provinces of Kermanshah, Kurdistan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad, Ilam, East Azerbaijan, North Khorasan, and Zanjan has exceeded 50 percent.

In Qom and Tehran provinces, the inflation rate was about 41 percent at the end of the second quarter of this year. The Statistics Center notes that the difference in inflation rates in Qom province, with the lowest rate, and Ilam province, with the highest rate, was about 11.8 percent.

The Statistical Center of Iran predicts that the continued upward trend in inflation rates until the end of October could result in half of the country's provinces facing inflation above 50 percent.

What is striking in these statistics is the inflation rate in rural areas of at least 17 provinces, where the inflation rate is also above 50 percent.

The point-to-point inflation rate was highest in West Azerbaijan Province at over 53 percent and lowest in Hamedan Province at around 40 percent.

After the increase in commodity prices and the inflation rate, Raisi called on the Central Bank to adopt monetary policies to prevent the growth of liquidity and the inflation rate.

However, according to experts, an increase in the inflation rate is impossible due to the decline in production and inefficiency in the distribution of essential goods.

Inflation rates for food and housing

According to the Statistics Center, the annual inflation rate for food, beverages, and tobacco products was 59.5 percent at the end of the second quarter. According to the same statistics, the inflation rate for food and beverages in the provinces of Isfahan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Yazd, East Azerbaijan, Golestan, Hormozgan, Kurdistan, West Azerbaijan, Khorasan Razavi, Ilam, North Khorasan, Alborz, Kermanshah, Lorestan, and Fars was more than 60 percent. This is while wages have not changed and vulnerable households are suffering greatly from the economic conditions.

The CEO of the Central Union of Light Livestock of the Country announced on October 27 that the country's per capita meat consumption has decreased from 12 kilograms per year to 6 kilograms. This is despite the fact that meat prices have only increased by 30 percent, despite inflation of 50 or 60 percent.

The Central Bank of Iran's report as of the end of September this year shows that the average price per square meter of a residential unit has reached 31.7 million tomans, which is a new record.

According to the Central Bank, the rental price index in Tehran and all urban areas in September of this year increased by 42.8 and 45.7 percent, respectively, compared to the same month in 2019.

This means that an Iranian family will have to pay about 45% more rent to renew their lease in September this year than last year.

Source: DW