A report by the Iranian regime’s parliament Research Center reveals a concerning situation: roughly 30% of the population lived below the poverty line in 2022, and half of Iranians are consuming less than the recommended daily calorie intake of 2,100.
This decline in calorie consumption is evident across all income levels, with the middle deciles experiencing the most significant drop compared to 2021. The report attributes this trend to inflation and a bleak economic outlook. Due to rising food prices and other expenses, households have been forced to reduce their food purchases and prioritize durable goods like housing.
Experts and parliamentarians, including Mohammad Bagheri Banaei and Mohsen Pirhadi, estimate the poverty line in Tehran to be significantly higher than the Research Center’s calculation. They placed the 2022 poverty line in Tehran at 30 million tomans, with a 20% decrease for other cities.
Former Director General of Social Welfare Studies, Hadi Mousavinik, previously warned that 57% of Iranians were malnourished in July 2023, failing to meet the minimum daily calorie requirement.
While official data on calorie consumption for 2023 is unavailable, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates a further decline in meat consumption. Iranians are projected to consume one-third less meat per capita than the global average in 2023. This compares starkly with countries like Turkey, where citizens consumed 50% more meat than Iranians last year. Other nations like China, the EU, Brazil, and the US have consumption levels 2.5 to 4 times higher than Iran.
Iran’s average daily calorie intake has dropped significantly from approximately 2,700 in 2010 to below 2,200 in 2021. This trend raises serious concerns about the well-being of the Iranian population.
