Iran’s stats agency says year-on-year inflation hits 88.6%

TEHRAN: Inflation in Iran rose sharply in June, driven by the Middle East war, reaching a peak of 88.6% year-on-year, according to official figures released on Saturday.

According to the Statistical Centre of Iran, during the Persian month of Khordad (May 22–June 21), food prices more than doubled year-on-year in a country already long plagued by hyperinflation due to sanctions.

Bread and grain prices rose by 138.8%, milk, cheese and eggs by 151.9%, while the prices of red meat and poultry skyrocketed by 178.2%.

By comparison, year-on-year inflation stood at 68% in February, prior to the outbreak of the war launched by the US and Israel against the Islamic republic.

In December 2025, when protests against the high cost of living erupted – later expanding to include political demands – inflation had risen by 52.6% year-on-year.

Iranian statistics are reported monthly based on the Persian calendar, with each year beginning in March.

For years, the Iranian economy has been hampered by chronic hyperinflation and a sharp depreciation of the national currency, the rial, largely as a result of international sanctions imposed on the country.

This phenomenon, which has eroded Iranians’ purchasing power, has intensified in recent months and triggered widespread protests in December.

The Middle East war has further exacerbated the economic crisis.