Iran's Rising Housing Costs Squeeze Workers' Incomes

A recent report shows severe economic challenges faced by workers in Iran with approximately 55% of laborers' wages being allocated towards rent.

In the capital, Tehran, the proportion is even more alarming, with workers spending an astounding 100% of their wages on housing expenses.

More than 60% of wage earners and retirees in Iran find themselves grappling with rising rental costs, as revealed by ILNA's case study on the share of housing rent in several Iranian cities. In Rasht city in the north, rent can be as much as 70%, and in Zahedan, up to 60% of a laborer's monthly wage.

The minimum wage for a married worker with all benefits hovers just above $180 per month, while the minimum cost of food for an average three-person household is at least $140 to $160.

Babak Negahdari, the head of the Parliament's Research Center, recently stated that housing prices and rents have surged tenfold since 2018. However, wages have not kept pace with these exorbitant increases.

The economic disparity persists while reports indicate that the average monthly expenses for housing in Tehran province surged from $100 in 2021 to $160 over the last year. Furthermore, Iran's Statistics Center reveals that costs for housing, water, sewage, fuel, and electricity have surged by nearly 60% in 2022.