In recent days, videos from Iran of long lines for frozen meat have flooded social media. Soaring food prices and declining purchasing power, especially during Ramadan and the New Year, are back in the spotlight.
Currently, red meat costs up to 800,000 tomans per kilo in Iran, leading to a drastic decrease in consumption, with some income groups buying less than two kilos a year. In response, the Ebrahim Raisi administration authorized frozen meat imports to stabilize the market. However, reports indicate that 30,000 tons of imported meat were met with such high demand that many people waited in queues for hours, only to leave empty-handed.
Highlighting the sharp decline in purchasing power, the Ham Mihan newspaper titled a report “The Long Queue of Meat at the Beginning of Ramadan,” stating, “The impact on people’s diets is evident in their reduced variety on their tables.” The report details the struggles of obtaining government-priced meat at 300,000 tomans per kilo. People must queue from 5:00 AM to store opening at 8:00 AM, with purchase limits of eight kilos of mutton and three kilos of veal per person per month.
The price surge isn’t limited to meat. Despite regime assurances, other food items have also become more expensive. Tejarat News reports that preparing a basic Ramadan evening meal for a family of four, including dates, Zoolbia and Bamieh, soup, cheese, vegetables, and bread, now costs at least 150,000 tomans.
Ali Aghamohammadi, head of the economic group in Ali Khamenei’s office, recently admitted that about 20 million Iranians live in low-income areas, with 1.8 million having no income and 5 million needing support. Shortly after taking office, Raisi promised to eradicate poverty. However, statistics on the eve of the third year of his administration show rising inflation across all sectors and an increase in poverty.
Economist Hossein Raghfar, speaking to Rouydad 24, explained the high bread consumption in Iran: “Some can’t afford anything else, while some can’t even afford bread anymore. This cycle only deepens poverty.” Raghfar added that the rising cost of living “directly impacts people’s health, leading to issues like short stature and bone deformities.”
