Skyrocketing inflation is worsening food insecurity across Iran, as households struggle with rising prices, a collapsing currency and the economic fallout from the war launched by the United States and Israel.
New figures from the Statistical Center of Iran show that annual inflation reached 73.5 percent in Farvardin, the first month of the Persian calendar year, which ended on April 20. The Central Bank of Iran, using a different methodology, reported a slightly lower but still severe annual inflation rate of 67 percent. Both figures point to a sharp acceleration in consumer prices.
Food prices have risen even faster. Iranian data cited by analysts and media reports showed food and beverage inflation at around 115 percent, with several staple goods more than doubling or tripling in price. Solid vegetable oil, liquid cooking oil, rice and chicken were among the items most affected, placing basic meals increasingly out of reach for poorer households.
President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged the strain on Sunday while meeting officials to discuss rebuilding infrastructure damaged in U.S. and Israeli attacks. “The people must realistically understand the conditions and restrictions of the country,” he said, even as he insisted that negotiations with Washington would not mean surrender.
The government has responded with monthly cash subsidies, electronic food vouchers and orders against what it describes as illegal price increases. But the value of those benefits has been eroded by the rial’s collapse. The currency has fallen sharply against the dollar over the past year, driving up import costs and feeding further inflation.
The war has intensified long-standing economic pressures caused by sanctions, mismanagement, reduced oil income and restricted access to foreign currency. The U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz have further strained trade and supply chains.
Iranian officials have blamed part of the price surge on hoarding, profiteering and what hardline media describe as an “economic revenge” campaign by foreign enemies. But business groups and ordinary residents say the hardship is also being worsened by domestic policy failures, including a prolonged internet shutdown that has damaged online commerce and the country’s startup sector.
For many Iranians, the crisis is now being felt most directly at the market. Families are spending a growing share of shrinking incomes on food, while small businesses face repeated price changes and uncertain supplies.
As diplomatic efforts continue, inflation has become one of Tehran’s most urgent internal challenges. Even if a ceasefire holds, stabilising prices, restoring trade and rebuilding confidence will likely take far longer.
