War Pressure on Household Budgets in Border Regions / Which Province Ranks Highest? + Table

First-half 1405 figures reveal significant disparities in cost-of-living pressure across the country's provinces.

Suppose two families in two parts of Iran, with almost similar incomes, go to the store every month to buy necessities. Both are expensive, but one has to adjust more quickly to the new prices. The statistics of the first half of 1405 show that in the days of war and sea siege, the experience of high prices was not the same in all provinces. Some provinces have come under price pressure much more than others; And Hormozgan stands at the top of all of them.

Inflation went faster at the borders

In the first six months of this year, the monthly inflation in the whole country was an average of 5.07%. But in eight provinces, this number was higher than 5.5%. All these provinces are located in border areas; From Ilam and West Azerbaijan to Bushehr, Kurdistan and Khuzestan.

Ilam and West Azarbaijan ranked next with monthly inflation of 5.76%. Bushehr with 5.75%, Kurdistan with 5.70% and Golestan with 5.67% were in the same group. East Azerbaijan and Khuzestan also recorded monthly inflation of 5.51 percent.

The difference between these numbers may not seem so big at first glance. But when the increase in prices is repeated month after month, the same distance can show itself in the cost of daily purchases. A family that faces a faster increase in the price of food, clothing, or other consumer items each month needs more money to maintain the same standard of living as before.

Of course, this statistic alone does not tell exactly how much the naval blockade has contributed to the cost of each province. But it shows that in the first half of the year, at the same time as the war and maritime restrictions, the inflationary pressure in an important part of the border provinces was higher than the country's average.

Hormozgan; A record high price in a province whose income was not enough

The distance between Hormozgan and other provinces is even greater. The average monthly inflation of this province reached 6.47% in the first half of the year; That is, it was the only province whose average monthly inflation exceeded 6%. Point-to-point inflation in Hormozgan also reached 113%; Simply put, the general price level was 113% higher on average compared to the same month last year.

But the story of Hormozgan is not only related to this year's record high prices. In 1404, according to the household budget statistics of the Statistics Center, this province was the only province whose average household income was lower than their average expenses. That is, even before the war, Hormozgani families were facing a situation where the average family income was not enough.

Now imagine such a family facing a new wave of high prices. When the income does not cover the expenses in advance, rising prices can force the family to cut back on some purchases, reach into savings from previous years, or postpone other expenses. Of course, the inflation statistics alone do not tell exactly which way each family chose; But putting together the income and expenditure situation of Hormozgan with its inflation record gives a clearer picture of the economic pressure on the people of this province.

On the other side of the table, Tehran, with an average monthly inflation of 4.75%, was lower than the country's average, and at the end, the lowest figure belonged to South Khorasan.

Finally, the data from the first half of the year alone cannot explain what caused all these differences. In order to understand the exact reason for the differences, it is necessary to examine the supply routes, transportation costs and price changes of different groups of goods and services. But one point can be clearly seen in the statistics: in the months when the economic life of the people was tied to the war and Iran's maritime and trade restrictions, many border provinces experienced higher inflation than the country's average, and Hormozgan faced the most high prices of all provinces.