The Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly has predicted that the poverty rate in Iran will rise from 41% this year to 45.5% by 1407. Based on this projection, if the current trend continues, nearly half of the country’s population will be below the poverty line within the next two years.

The situation in rural areas is worse. Based on this report, it is projected that one out of every two rural households will not be able to cover at least the minimum costs of living.

These figures represent a major jump compared to previous years. The same center had announced the poverty rate for 1402 as 30% and for 1403 as 31%, and had projected 31.9% for 1404, which, with the figure reaching 41% this year, means an increase of about nine percentage points in one year.