Poverty in Iran has become so widespread that even those close to the mullah regime are nervous.

On May 17, 2021, Feryal Mostofi, head of the Money and Capital Committee at the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, warned of the middle class collapsing and merging into the growing poor population. She noted that poverty was rapidly rising, and the middle class was gradually disappearing.

Mostofi stated, “We are witnessing a sharp increase in poverty across the society, and the middle class is steadily sinking into hardship. Some reports suggest that out of Iran’s 80 million people, around 60 million live below the poverty line.”

And since 2021, with inflation exceeding 40%, the middle class has been steadily and completely absorbed into the impoverished population.

Today, even media outlets close to the regime admit that at least 80% of the population lives below the absolute poverty line.

The Tehran Chamber of Commerce has reported a persistent decline in new investments over the past decade. At the same time, large-scale capital flight has been reported—signaling deep economic instability and widespread impoverishment.

Capital Flight

According to the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, and Iranian central bank data, between 2011 and 2019, approximately $98.4 billion in capital left Iran — averaging $10.9 billion per year. These figures reflect only official data and exclude unregistered flows (Donya-e-Eqtesad, August 23, 2020).

Saeed Leylaz, a regime-aligned economist, estimated that over $100 billion in capital left the country between 2014 and 2019. This estimate does not include hidden assets such as gold, foreign currency, or U.S. dollars stashed away by........

© American Thinker