State-controlled Iranian state media have reported a surge in the misery index across 25 provinces of Iran over the past year.
The economic website ‘Eco Iran’ released a report indicating that by fall of 2023, the country’s misery index had reached 52 units.
As per the ‘Eco Iran’ report, urban areas experienced a misery level of 3.52 units, while rural areas registered 51.7 units, reflecting a 0.6 unit higher misery level in cities compared to villages.
The report highlights Lorestan province’s cities as having the highest misery rate at 2.64 units, with Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Yazd, and Sistan and Baluchistan provinces also facing elevated levels of misery.
Conversely, Tehran province’s cities exhibited the lowest misery level at 44.5 units.
The misery index serves as an indicator of economic hardship within society, derived from the combined impact of inflation and unemployment.
Several experts contend that Iran’s official inflation and unemployment statistics are manipulated by governmental institutions, painting a rosier picture than reality. Independent experts consistently perceive the actual situation to be bleaker than official figures suggest.
These experts anticipate next year’s budget exacerbating poverty and misery among the populace.
The misery index stands as a crucial economic metric for assessing well-being, comprising the sum of unemployment rates and annual inflation. Unemployment deprives individuals of income sources, while inflation escalates the cost of goods and services, impeding consumption and well-being.
Border provinces feature prominently among those with the highest misery index, with soaring unemployment driving residents toward smuggling activities. In western provinces, the perilous job of porter (Kolbar) claims lives annually due to confrontations with border forces or accidents on treacherous terrain.
The situation worsens in eastern border provinces, where fuel smuggling has become a predominant occupation due to governmental neglect. Engaging in this illicit trade entails constant risks of clashes with border military forces.
Over the past five years, Iran has witnessed a deterioration in social welfare concurrent with rising inflation rates.
Economists warn that a higher misery index heightens the risk of social ills such as crime, poverty, suicide, declining population growth, and divorce. This looming danger has cast a broader and more ominous shadow over Iranian society in the last decade.
