Iran inflation “alarming” with basic food items a luxury for many, Iranian media says

Inflation rates in Iran have reached “alarming levels,” with many working-class families in the country unable to afford basic food items, according to state-affiliated Iranian media.

Annual inflation in the country — measured over the 12-month period leading up to July — stands at 66%, according to the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA).

The price of food has more than doubled since July last year, ILNA cited the Statistical Center of Iran as saying, with basic food items such as eggs, rice, meat and bread effectively becoming “luxury goods” for many.

Due to the rising cost of living, many workers are now only able to afford their living expenses for around eight days in each month, according to Faramarz Toufighi, a Labor activist cited in the ILNA report. “For more than 20 days of every month, workers are effectively left with nothing,” Toufighi said.

Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said Monday that improving the livelihoods of people in Iran remained the government’s top priority while cautioning that the “enemy’s strategy was to exploit the wave of price increases,” state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.

Iran’s economy was in a dire state before the war too, with poor economic conditions a key driving factor behind the anti-regime demonstrations which kicked off in the Iranian capital city Tehran in 2025.