On May 17, the state-run Ham-Mihan daily published a sobering report on the condition of Iranian children living below the poverty line. The article opened with a striking observation: “About 23 million people live in spaces that can be described as urban poverty traps.”
Citing data from the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare, the article revealed that 38 percent of Iranian children live in financially impoverished households. Household income and expenditure data from 2019 further underscore the depth of the crisis: nearly half of Iranian parents have not completed secondary education—a figure that rises to 70 percent in provinces such as Sistan and Baluchestan.
During a seminar held to mark International Family Day, Mahtab Hajimohammadi, a member of the Iranian Peace Studies Scientific Association, emphasized that poverty among children is not merely a matter of lacking financial resources. Speaking alongside economist Kamal Athari, she warned, “Children in underprivileged families face serious challenges that limit their path to growth and prosperity. These limitations are not just economic. Given the political and social structures in place, poverty deepens and prevents access to even the most basic welfare services.”
According to Hajimohammadi, the absence of economic, social, cultural, and symbolic capital leaves these children without equal opportunities. As a result, the class divide continues to widen, compounded by rising inflation and economic instability.
A Future Stolen by Poverty
Poverty in today’s Iran is not only denying millions of families their daily bread—it is robbing the country’s children of their future. Credible statistics showing that 38 percent of children live below the poverty line reveal the magnitude of the crisis. These children are the silent victims of a system that, through chronic mismanagement and a lack of meaningful social policy, has locked them in a cycle of poverty, violence, and deprivation.
From birth, children in marginalized and impoverished families face multiple dangers. Beyond the lack of proper nutrition and emotional support, they are vulnerable to early marriage, school dropout, neglect, and even physical and sexual abuse. This is not merely financial poverty—it is multidimensional deprivation that encompasses access to education, healthcare, and essential services. As a result, these children are often forced to abandon childhood far too soon.
According to UNICEF, the stark inequality in access to public services such as education and healthcare entrenches this cycle of deprivation. An estimated 2 to 7 million Iranian children are engaged in child labor, often under hazardous and inhumane conditions, and are denied their right to education—further perpetuating generational poverty.
An Educational Emergency
The education crisis in Iran is a stark warning for future generations. According to the Parliament Research Center, 42 percent of children in Iran suffer from educational poverty, a problem directly linked to household economic hardship. Alarmingly, 41 percent of students fail to reach minimum global reading literacy standards, revealing a widening gap between children from wealthy families and those from impoverished backgrounds.
Shrinking public education budgets and the growing cost burden on families have pushed many children out of school. Data from the Statistical Center of Iran indicated that in 2019, 38 percent of children under 18 lived in poor households—a number that has only risen since then. Kamal Athari has warned that the lack of effective social policy and declining per capita educational spending have exacerbated inequalities, depriving children of equal opportunities and endangering the very generation that should be shaping the country’s future.
A System That Fails Its Children
Poverty in Iran is not simply an economic phenomenon—it is the direct consequence of systemic mismanagement by the regime under the doctrine of Velayat-e-Faqih. Instead of investing in the people, the ruling authorities have squandered national resources through corruption, misappropriation, and ideological pursuits.
The absence of a functional welfare state has deepened class and gender inequalities, leaving vulnerable groups—especially children—in dire circumstances. Afghan refugee children and those in remote or marginalized regions face dual discrimination and even harsher conditions.
Economic policies that have driven marginalization and social exclusion have also led to child labor, early marriage, and rising juvenile delinquency. Reports confirm that many working children suffer from physical and psychological illness, malnutrition, and various forms of abuse. Yet, the government has failed to introduce any comprehensive or effective response.
A Call for Change
The cry of Iranian children, rising from the depths of poverty and deprivation, carries a clear and painful message: the current regime, mired in corruption and misrule, has stolen their futures. By prioritizing ideological goals and power over people’s well-being, it has created a nation where children are forced to carry the burden of a broken system.
This regime has not only failed to protect the most vulnerable but has actively contributed to their suffering. The growing demand for change among the Iranian people is not just a political movement—it is a desperate call to reclaim the stolen future of millions of children.
