Declining birth rate and accelerating aging threaten Iran's demographic future

Mahmoudabad- Imam Jumeh of Mahmoudabad warned about the decrease in births, the decrease in the number of marriages and the increase in the country's elderly population, and emphasized the need to turn the population issue into a national priority and strengthen support for families.

According to Mehr reporter, Hojjat-ul-Islam Seyyed Ismail Mousavi said in his Friday prayer sermons this week, referring to the country's demographic developments, that Iran is at a turning point in its demographic history, and the decrease in the number of primary school students, the annual decrease of 7-10% in the number of births, the drop in the marriage rate, the increase in the age of marriage and the gap between the births of children, along with the rapid growth of old age, are the signs of a multi-layered crisis.

He added: If the current trend continues, the country's population growth will reach zero in the next 10 to 15 years, and then the negative range, and Iran will move towards the extreme aging of the population. A situation that can impose heavy economic, social and cultural costs on the country.

Imam Juma of Mahmudabad emphasized the need to change the approach towards the population issue and stated: This issue should go beyond the level of a sovereign and governmental concern and become a public discourse and a national priority.

Mousavi continued: Elites, media, academics, social science and health experts, and the public should discuss the consequences of population decline and increasing old age, and at the same time, integrated and sustainable policies to facilitate marriage and childbearing and support families should be put on the agenda.

He considered healthy, active and productive aging to be one of the necessities of the future of the country and said: only by supporting families and providing the necessary grounds for having children and managing the consequences of old age can the population be transformed from a serious threat to an opportunity for the development and sustainable future of the country.

Al-Aqsa storm stabilized the position of the axis of resistance

In another part of his sermons, Imam Juma of Mahmudabad, referring to the anniversary of the Al-Aqsa storm operation and the martyrdom of Yahya Sanwar, mentioned him as one of the faces of the Palestinian resistance.

Referring to the positions of the Martyr of the Revolution, Mousavi said about Yahya Sanwar: He had described Sanwar as a shining figure in resistance and struggle, who stood up against the aggressor with a firm will and hit it with tact and courage.

He considered the Al-Aqsa storm operation on October 7, 2023 as one of the lasting events of Palestinian history and said: This operation was effective in establishing the role of the resistance axis in the region and strengthening the morale of the resistance groups.

Imam Juma Mahmudabad also pointed to the role of this event in the political developments of Palestine and added: Among the consequences of the Al-Aqsa storm, it has been to help reduce the gap between Palestinian groups, especially Hamas and Fatah, and to change the view of a part of the public opinion of Arab countries towards Iran as a supporter of the resistance discourse.

Referring to the changes in public opinion in Arab countries, Mousavi said: Some regional polls in 2024 indicated the improvement of Iran's position in the public opinion of these countries, and these changes also affected the political and security equations of the region.

He further considered the revelation of the crimes committed by the Zionist regime during the Gaza war as one of the consequences of the Al-Aqsa storm, and referring to the position of the Martyr of the Revolution on Zionist propaganda, he said: "Oppression has been one of the important axes of Zionist propaganda, but the developments in Gaza and the killing of civilians have seriously challenged the image of this regime in the public opinion of the world."

Referring to the increase in international support for the establishment of the Palestinian state, Imam Juma'ah Mahmudabad also listed this trend as one of the important developments after the Gaza war and emphasized: The Al-Aqsa storm dealt a serious blow to the international position of the Zionist regime and increased the pressure and isolation of this regime in parts of the international community.