According to a poll of Iranian citizens conducted by the Iranian international opinion research organisation ‘Iran International’ via Instagram, 83 per cent of respondents said they would emigrate from Iran if the opportunity arose.
Nearly 100,000 people participated in the poll over 24 hours and answered the question: “If you were given the opportunity, would you emigrate from Iran?” The results showed that 83pc chose ‘Yes’, compared with 17pc who chose ‘No.
The factors driving Iranians to emigrate include economic conditions, social restrictions, the political situation and uncertainty about the future.
The Wall Street Journal noted that pressure on the Iranian economy had become more severe as Iranian oil exports declined to near-zero levels in July, after generating about $4.5 billion in June, while the annual inflation rate exceeded 80pc, amid sharp increases in food prices.
The report added that the biggest burden is falling on Iranian families, as their spending on food, fuel and medicine continues to decline, while the International Monetary Fund expects the Iranian economy to contract by 5.4pc this year.
The Journal described Iran’s economy as a ‘survival economy’, in an effort to maintain a minimum level of state functioning and withstand sanctions and the US naval blockade, rather than offering rapid concessions to Washington.
The newspaper explained that Tehran had begun rationing some goods and energy, restricting access to foreign currencies and reducing investment, while giving priority to imports of wheat, medicines, baby formula and essential goods at subsidised prices.
Economic estimates indicate that the Iranian economy has lost nearly two million jobs in the recent period as a result of factory closures, declining service activity and disruptions in broad sectors linked to trade and the internet.
Official authorities in Iran, citing analyses by research institutions, estimated direct and indirect economic losses at around $270bn, including declining exports, production disruptions and the destruction or damage of parts of the infrastructure.
This estimate is consistent with economic loss models cited by international reports and researchers.
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