Depth of the Livelihood Crisis in Ramadan; Daily Wage 250,000 Tomans, Iftar and Suhoor Costs 650,000 Tomans

Economic pressures in Iran continue to rise, and with the onset of Ramadan, the depth of the livelihood crisis has become evident as Iranian media report a minimum daily wage of 250,000 tomans against a household cost of 650,000 tomans for Suhoor and Iftar. The website Rouydad 24 has addressed this issue, stating that dinner or Suhoor during Ramadan for a family of five costs around 400,000 tomans. Accordingly, the cost of the Iftar table is estimated to be at least 200 to 250 thousand tomans. This 650,000 tomans cost comes at a time when the average income of a simple worker is about 250,000 tomans per day. Comparisons made by Rouydad 24 show that setting an Iftar and complete dinner table for a family of five last year cost over 250,000 tomans. Additionally, in the year 1401 (2022), preparing an Iftar table at the minimum possible level cost about 150,000 tomans. The prevailing trend in Iran's economy and the conditions created for households are attributed to the performance of President Raisi's government, stating: 'Now it seems as if a century has passed since those days, and the outcome of economic surgery in the style of Ebrahim Raisi is nothing but economic paralysis.' Accordingly, it has been emphasized that according to market activity, wages have lagged far behind costs for years, and the Iftar and Suhoor tables of Iranians have been shrinking. Statistics published by the Statistical Center of Iran indicate that in Bahman 1402 (January 2024), the annual inflation rate of consumer goods and services in the 'red meat and poultry' sector was 93.3%, and in the field of red meat, white meat, and their products, it was 90.7%. This means that every Iranian spent at least 90% more on meat in Bahman 1402 compared to Bahman 1401. Furthermore, in the eleventh month of 1402, public transportation services became 57.4% more expensive compared to the same period last year, and consumers paid 62.5% more for hotel and restaurant services than the previous year. Reports indicate that rampant inflation has become one of the biggest economic challenges in Iran. This challenge has severely impacted people's daily lives and has shrunk their tables. The competition between the poverty line and people's livelihoods; an economist states: 70% of Iranians are either below the poverty line or at risk of falling. The consequences of economic inefficiency | Media: Iran on the brink of class stratification; Government: We have pulled the brakes on 'inflationary factors'! One news agency, referring to a livelihood basket of 28 million tomans, states that lower deciles are surviving on eggs. The sound of rising meat prices; livestock population has decreased by 18%. A news agency's account of the livelihoods of wage earners; food inflation reached 145%. Drought has destroyed 95% of pastures in Fars province; a 'thousand billion tomans' loss to nomads.