The Statistical Center of Iran has released its latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for March 2026, showing a continued acceleration in inflation across the country.
The CPI, calculated with a base year of 2021 (index = 100), reached 542.3 in March 2026. This means that average prices for goods and services have increased more than 5.4 times compared to 2021—equivalent to a cumulative rise of approximately 442% over four years.
Year-on-year inflation (compared to March 2025) climbed to 71.8%, up 3.7 percentage points from the previous month. Annual inflation (covering the 12 months ending March 2026) was reported at 50.6%, also rising by 3.1 percentage points month-on-month.
Food prices driving inflation
The sharpest increases continue to come from food and essential goods—a critical issue in Iran, where food accounts for a large share of household spending, particularly among lower-income groups.
Year-on-year inflation in the category of food, beverages, and tobacco reached 112.5%, up from 105.4% in February.
Within this category, several subgroups recorded extreme price increases compared to March 2025:
- Bread and cereals: 140%
- Meat (red and poultry) and related products: 135%
- Oils and fats: 219%
- Fruits and nuts: 104.2%
- Dairy products (milk, cheese, eggs): 116.8%
- Vegetables and legumes: 46.4%
Monthly inflation for food slowed to 8.6% in March (from 15.5% in February), but price levels remain significantly elevated.
Non-food inflation and services
The non-food and services category recorded 50.4% year-on-year inflation, slightly higher than February’s 49%.
Key contributors include 72.8% in furniture and household maintenance, 90.4% in miscellaneous goods and services, and 67.5% in transportation.
Housing and utilities—including rent, water, electricity, gas, and fuel—saw a comparatively lower increase of 34.9%, making it the least inflationary major category.
Monthly inflation in non-food goods and services stood at 3.5%.
Inequality and regional disparities
The report also highlights widening inequality in inflation burdens:
Annual inflation for the second income decile (among the poorest households) was 54.2%, while for the tenth decile (the wealthiest households), it was 49.2%.
The inflation gap between income groups widened to 5 percentage points, up from 4.1 points in February—indicating that lower-income households are disproportionately affected.
Geographically, rural households experienced significantly higher inflation:
- Rural year-on-year inflation: 86.5%
- Urban year-on-year inflation: 69.3%
The CPI index reached 531.8 in urban areas and 606.2 in rural areas, with annual inflation at 49.6% and 56.8%, respectively.
Interpreting the data
While these figures are based on official data, they should be read with some caution. Iran’s statistical system is fragmented, and key indicators such as inflation have at times been reported differently by institutions like the Statistical Center and the Central Bank. Methodological choices—such as weighting, sampling, and price collection—can also affect the final estimates.
At the same time, independent assessments and observable market signals—particularly exchange rate movements and the pricing of essential goods—often point to inflationary pressures that feel more severe at the household level than headline figures suggest. This gap between reported averages and lived experience is especially visible in food markets, where price increases tend to be both faster and more immediately felt.
Taken together, the latest data confirm that year-on-year inflation continues to accelerate, even as monthly figures show temporary moderation. The persistence of high food inflation, combined with widening inequality and regional disparities, suggests that inflationary pressures remain deeply embedded in Iran’s economy.
