The Parliamentary Research Center's Account of 'Justice in the Distribution of Poverty'; The Fall of Society into the Abyss of Poverty

The Parliamentary Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly has addressed the budgeting process, budget deficit financing, and the formation of inflation in a report, stating that ultimately, we are witnessing the expansion of social inequalities in the country, which has led to a 'just distribution of poverty.' The research arm of the Iranian government emphasizes that the performance of governments is in contradiction with the philosophy of the existence of the state, which is to provide welfare and improve income distribution. According to this research center, the trend of per capita income over the past decade shows that the Iranian people have become poorer, with per capita income decreasing from 4.7 million tomans in 2011 to 2.5 million tomans in 2022. The report emphasizes that one of the challenges of the current conditions is the expansion of inequality in the economy, with lower-income deciles bearing the brunt of inflation and continuously losing purchasing power. The report confirms that purchasing housing has become unattainable for lower-income deciles, estimating that the waiting time for an Iranian worker to become a homeowner is about 100 years. This official report also has various dimensions of the just distribution of poverty in the country, indicating that the chronic inflation trend and continuous price increases have caused some durable goods, such as cars, to become assets, thus becoming inaccessible to the poor and even the middle class. The Parliamentary Research Center states that the government's economic behaviors and indifference to the conditions of lower-income deciles will exacerbate inflation, and an increase in poverty and inequality is not far-fetched. The report specifically emphasizes that 'the consumption basket of lower and middle-income classes is shifting towards basic needs, and a large population is falling into poverty.' With this background, the research arm of the parliament adds: 'Reducing inequality at the societal level occurs in its reverse meaning,' and a type of 'justice in the distribution of poverty' has emerged, resulting in a continuous increase in poverty. The report also describes 'persistent poverty,' stating that part of the poor population has lost the ability to escape poverty and is trapped in a poverty and deprivation trap. Class gaps are another issue mentioned in this report, which emphasizes that 'the increasing ratio of expenses of the tenth decile to the first decile indicates the intensification of class gaps in the economy.' The report officially confirms that with rising inflation, low-income households are foregoing needs such as health, cultural goods, education, etc., to be able to meet their basic needs such as housing and food. According to this report, in recent years, the share of food expenses from total household expenses has been increasing, while the share of non-food expenses, including clothing, health care, education, entertainment, and other non-food expenses, has decreased. Independent experts believe that the lack of a scientific and practical program in the economic field, the existence of sanctions, non-developmental expenditures of the Islamic Republic from Iranian resources, including expenses for groups and proxy militias in the region, and a focus on nuclear energy instead of balanced economic development are among the factors that have intensified poverty and diminished the economic power of the country and its people. The 120% lag of wages behind inflation over six years continues, with the prices of essential goods rising; the food basket of the people is becoming smaller and smaller. An analytical report: the highest rank of the 'misery index' in Ardabil province and the highest unemployment rate in Sistan and Baluchestan. A narrative from a security media outlet about the increase in poverty among workers; the expansion of poverty in Iran. The Deputy Governor of Tehran announced the 'price adjustment' of bread in '10,000' bakeries; 'violations will be addressed.' The Minister of Labor states that 30% of the Iranian population was at risk of poverty in 2022.