Iran’s wealth gap: tens of millions struggle to get by
The recent anti-government demonstrations in Iran exposed the growing divide between rich and poor.
Recent anti-government demonstrations in Iran exposed the growing divide between rich and poor.
While one or two percent of the population enjoy a luxurious lifestyle, millions of Iranians are struggling to make ends meet.
In 2017, Iran’s government set the poverty line at about $480 a month per household.
Thirty-three percent of the population lives below the line, that’s more than 24 million people. But it’s also a struggle for many living above the line.
The median income for an average household is about $885, just $2 more than the minimum they need to get by.
That means that for most Iranians there is virtually nothing left to save for the future.
Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi spoke to some of Tehran’s most vulnerable.