The per capita income from oil exports in Iran fell by 88%, while the purchasing power of the population weakened due to inflation and a sharp rise in the dollar. This trend widens the circle of poverty and threatens the future of the middle class.
The monthly per capita income from oil exports dropped from $347 in 1974 and $175 in 2011 to about $40 in recent years.
At the same time, the increase of the dollar in the free market exceeded the wage increases, and the cost of the monthly minimum wage for employees decreased from approximately $232 in 2016 to approximately $83 in 2026.