An Economics Professor: The Future Outlook is 'Unpleasant', We Face a 'Sub-Poverty' Class

Hosseyn Raghfar, an economics professor at Alzahra University, states: "The class divide that has emerged in Iran poses the most dangerous potential for psychological, mental, and social harm, and there is no political will to overcome it." According to the Jamaran website, this economic analyst noted that the productive and middle class of the country has been vulnerable for years, adding: "In examining the impoverished classes, we are faced with a large population suffering from the phenomenon of 'sub-poverty', who are even deprived of a poor living." He also emphasized: "We do not see any hopeful outlook for the country's future; the slope of economic decline in Iran has accelerated, the government conceals realities and provides fabricated statistics to the people, but the people no longer believe the government's fabricated statistics." On Tuesday, the Faraz online newspaper reported, citing statistics published by officials, that 30% of the country's population lives below the poverty line, and another 27% are in conditions very close to poverty, meaning nearly 60% of the country's population is either absolutely poor or living with basic necessities. According to this media report, the flood of poverty began in the early 2010s, driven mainly by "inflation and the depreciation of the national currency." Accordingly, the Research Center of the Parliament has announced that over a decade, the poverty rate in the country has increased from 19% to over 30%, meaning that with a population of 86 million, more than 30 million Iranians are below the poverty line. This online newspaper claims that during this period, the per capita national income of Iranians has also decreased by more than 36%, and the gap between non-poor and the poverty line has also narrowed significantly. Saba Alaleh, a social activist, stated: "The development of poverty is the reason for the increase in child labor in Iran." Experts described the 15% statistic of child laborers in Iran as "minimal." Statistics speak for themselves; nearly 60% of the Iranian population lives under the shadow of poverty. Unveiling another aspect of poverty; the dollar sale of body parts.