ERBIL — The poverty rate in Iran had risen by 38 percent during 2020 with the prices of basic food products dramatically increased in the country where the pandemic situation, meanwhile, continues to deteriorate.
Following the withdrawal of the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in 2018, the economic situation in the country began to worsen with the country's currency continuing to lose its value. A former Iranian lawmaker revealed that 60% of the population live below the poverty line.
The economic situation has also affected the education sector in Iran as the majority of students are not able to afford to purchase school supplies and fees while schools, with in-person classes, are expected to open in two months.
The outcome of a survey, recently conducted with 1,570 individuals aged between 18 and beyond, indicates that 59% of Iranian people feel desperate about their future while 30% of the citizens believe the situation would even further worsen in the next years.
Demonstrations against the government have been organized in different cities of Iran over the past two years. However, the protests were followed by the arrests of demonstrators rather than improving of public services.