Iranians struggle to buy food as war drives up prices
Authorities in Iran are trying to alleviate pressure on consumers with food vouchers and raising the minimum wage. However, some residents of Tehran told DW
Authorities in Iran are trying to alleviate pressure on consumers with food vouchers and raising the minimum wage. However, some residents of Tehran told DW they are finding it hard to make ends meet. Living conditions for ordinary Iranians are getting tougher as war and sanctions add to years of economic strain. Officials have introduced higher wages and food vouchers to try and shield low-income households, but many Iranians say the measures are failing to keep up with rising prices. In March, the monthly minimum wage in Iran was raised by 60%, or 166 million rials ($120, €104). However, for many households, the most visible sign of the crisis is not a headline inflation figure, but the speed with which ordinary prices change. One Tehran resident told DW that the price of rice went up 9% within two weeks. Other items like ice cream saw similar hikes. Prices are climbing week by week, while salaries are adjusted only once a year. Officials say a food voucher scheme is meant to ease the burden on households. But many Iranians argue that the support has not kept pace with prices. The same Tehran resident said that since the food voucher policy was introduced, chicken prices had more than doubled, while milk had gone up nearly 50%.
The voucher itself, the resident said, remained unchanged. Some households, if they have any savings left, buy food, detergents and hygiene products in bulk and store them at home before prices rise again. Shelves in Tehran are full, but the prices rise without warning Image: Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto/picture alliance Full shelves, empty pocketbooks The war with the US and Israel has exacerbated Iran's ongoing economic problems. As a resolution to the conflict seems far off, the supplies of oil, gas and fertilizer remain disrupted. That matters for Iranian households because when fuel, transport and imports become more expensive, the costs ripple outward. The result is an economy in which abundance and deprivation can exist side by side. Shelves may still be stocked, but for a growing number of people, prices are growing out of reach. For many consumers, the immediate problem is not that shops are empty. It is that purchasing power has collapsed. Even when the state raises the minimum wage, it matters little in a market where prices move weekly, subsidies lose value quickly and ordinary families are forced to measure their lives in half-kilos, smaller baskets and harder choices. Iran defies US pressure over nuclear, missile plans To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A supermarket owner in Iran said that he has seen every day how prices move up far faster than what people can afford.
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