Government’s Raid on Low-Income Families’ Tables
Heavy Inflationary Pressure on Lower Deciles
Government’s Raid on Low-Income Families’ Tables: The Iranian Statistics Center recently published a report indicating that the point-to-point inflation rate for the entire country in October 2022 was recorded at 48.6%. This figure has slightly decreased by over 1% compared to September, but the reality is far beyond this general statistic.
Looking at the inflation report from the Statistics Center, the widening gap between affluent and low-income groups is clearly visible. The statistics related to the inflation of goods and services indicate worsening conditions for citizens who receive minimum wages or whose monthly income is less than the household’s living basket. In fact, the performance of Raisi’s government has not only failed to alleviate the suffering of the underprivileged but has also unprecedentedly expanded the share of the wealthy minority from the tables of low-income groups.
Inflation Surge Emptied People’s Tables
Most of this gap is in the sector of essential goods and services used by the lower deciles of society. Among the most significant sections mentioned in this report is the very high inflation of food items. Traditionally, when high inflationary surges are experienced, the group that sees the highest price increase is food, beverages, and tobacco.
The range of inflation changes for the group of food, beverages, and tobacco is between 68.6% for the tenth decile and 7.7% for the first decile. This statistic indicates an increased demand for life’s necessities among weaker groups. This painful reality also has another aspect, which is the profitability of this price increase for affluent groups.
In such a way that the government, with its strange and unprincipled policies, created a situation where the wealthy could even gain more from their daily food and drink. In other words, the price increase of food and beverages for the wealthy has not only been less than that for the poor but also adds an extra burden on the lower-income deciles who can only meet their basic needs.
The range of changes for this same index for the group of food, beverages, and tobacco is between 22% for the first decile and 23% for the tenth decile. This element also indicates a deep gap between low-income groups and the wealthy. Meanwhile, the government, emphasizing a 1% reduction in monthly inflation, has started creating a media wave. By delving into the Statistics Center’s report, one can realize the falsehood of some media’s governmental propaganda.
Non-Food Goods and Services
The concerning point is that in the past October, not only did the inflationary pressure in the food sector affect the low-income groups, but a deeper gap is observed in the non-food goods and services sector. The inflation for the group of non-food goods and services was recorded between 34.2% for the first decile and 36.7% for the tenth decile.
Additionally, the details of the October report from the Statistics Center on the monthly inflation of non-food goods and services range from 3.2% for the tenth decile to 3.7% for the first decile. The share of monthly inflation for the group of non-food goods and services overall from the total household inflation in the past month of 2022 was also recorded at 20.3%. Among these, the share of the high-income decile was 13.9% and the share of the last income decile was 23.8%.
Seyed of the Underprivileged’s Bouquet on the Poor’s Table
This report and the analysis of the provided data show that the inflationary effects of the food, beverages, and tobacco group are more felt in the lower deciles of society. At the same time, the inflationary effects of the non-food goods and services group are noticeable among affluent groups.
By analyzing the above data, it can be concluded that Raisi’s government, by implementing price adjustment policies alongside increasing market pressure to enforce a directive economic model, has removed the pressure from the middle classes and significantly increased the cost of living for low-income groups.
In other words, and more simply, it can be said that the government has distributed the pressure it promised to impose on the wealthy among low-income households. This point is reminiscent of the slogans he used to chant in support of the underprivileged and the downtrodden, but the 15-month record of Ebrahim Raisi’s government shows that the thirteenth cabinet, under the banner of supporting the underprivileged, has sweetened the lives of the wealthy more than ever.