TEHRAN: The rate of inflation of Iran dropped to 2.15 percent in last Iranian year due to prices of essentials such as water, electricity, gas rose between 25 to 30 percent while others such as break and housing rentals went up by 25-40 percent, according to the government statistic report.
But a look at media news agency reports along with the pronouncements made by authorities, cost of living continued to rise in the last twelve month period. In fact, a new wave of price hikes is expected to hit the pockets of ordinary Iranians in the coming year that begins on March 21st.
According to the report, in the month of Esfand (February 21 to March 21) inflation stood at 14.4 percent compared to the same month the year before. The index for the group comprising of food, drinks and smoking in this month stood at 6.240 which was 5 percent less when compared to the previous month. The food index alone stood at 236.6 which was a fall of 6 percent compared to the previous month.
The index for non-foods in the month of Bahman (January 21 to February 20th) stood 7.191 which was 3 percent higher than the previous month. The rise in the prices of this category compared to the same month last year stood at 5 percent.
These figures were published by the center after the government had raised the price of water and electricity by 20 and 24 percent respectively, as decided jointly with the Majlis.
Mehr news agency wrote that on February 25th “The first vice-president had instructed the relevant government agencies that supplied these utilities to the public to raise the price of water by 20 percent. Prior to that the government had unexpectedly raised the price of electricity by 24 percent.”
Alireza Daemi, the deputy minister at the ministry of energy had earlier said, “The government only allowed a 24% hike in the price of electricity starting March 2014. The increase in the price of gas too by 20-30% was sanctioned from March of 2014.
