🔶 Social anger in Iran; a force for change or a foundation for authoritarianism?

🔻 A report by Atefeh Chaharomahalyan

In recent decades, researchers have repeatedly tried to measure prevailing emotions in societies, from hope and happiness to sadness and anger. According to a 2024 report by the polling institute “Gallup,” Iran was among the countries with the highest rates of daily experiences of anger worldwide. Recently, a survey attributed to “Arā Opinion Research Center,” an institute close to government bodies, which IranWire has published, has been reported to Iranian officials: more than 63% of the survey participants said they experience a high level of anger in their everyday lives.

The results of this assessment point to the dominance of feelings of hopelessness, depression, fear, and anxiety among a large part of society—an issue reported more strongly among people with university education and individuals under 50 years old. Although the “sample size” of the survey has not been published, the findings are not unfamiliar with Iran’s social experience over the past less than a decade; however, restrictions on free and independent polling in Iran mean these figures likely reflect only part of reality.