The diet of Iranians is changing. Results of a survey conducted by the Iranian Students Polling Agency this year (started in March) shows 4.3% of Iranian household ate red meat on a daily basis last year compared to 2.7% of respondents of the survey conducted by ISPA in the month leading to June 21, 2019.
Of 1,575 respondents to the telephone survey, 40.2% said they ate red meat few times a week compared with 34.9% in the previous round. Some 32.8% said they consumed red meat several times a month compared to 43.4% during the year before; 14.4% ate red meat several times a year compared with 14.2% in the preceding year and 8.2% said they did not consume red meat at all last year compared to 4.7% in the previous year.
On consumption of chicken among Iranian households, the survey found 4.4% ate chicken every day in the past year compared to 4.2% previously, 62% several times a week compared with 74.8% in the year before, 28.4% several times a month compared with 17.7% in the preceding year, 3.7% several time a year compared with 1.8% in the previously; and 1.3% said they did not consume chicken at all last year compared to 1.2% in the previous year.
On frequency of fish consumption, 0.6% said they ate fish every day last year. The percentage was identical in the previous year; 11.4% ate fish few times a week over the past year compared with 19.7% during the year before; 30.2% few times a month compared with 39.1% previously; 33% few days a year compared with 29.9% in the previous survey and 24.6% of the respondents said they did not consume fish at all in the past year compared with 10.5% in the year before.
Other findings show four out of 10 Iranian households eat rice everyday; 42% said they ate rice every day in the past year compared with 51.1% in the previous year; 48.2% ate rice few times a week compared with 43.1% in the year before; 8.5% few times a month over 4.8% of the previous survey; one percent said they ate rice several times a year compared with 0.5% during the preceding year and 0.3% of the households did not consume rice at all in the past year compared with the same 0.3% of the year before.
On frequency of milk intake, the survey found that 26.2% of people consumed milk every day last year compared with 31.1% in the preceding year; 37.4% few times a week compared with 47.1% in the year before; 22.5% few times a month compared with 13.8% in the preceding year; six percent consumed milk few times a year compared with 2.6% previously and 7.9% did not consume milk at all in the past year compared to 5.2% in the previous year.
On yogurt consumption, 35.4% of households ate yogurt every day last year compared with 42.3% in the year before; 41.3% consumed few times a week compared with 45.3% in the year before; 16.7% few times a month compared with 9.2% in the year before; 3.4% few times a year compared with 1.1% in the year before and three percent said they did not consume yogurt at all last year compared with 1.8% in the previous survey.
The survey also found that 4.5% of the respondents consumed carbonated soft drinks everyday in the past year compared with 4.3% in the year before; 19.2% few times a week compared with 16% before; 35% few times a month compared with 26.5% in the year before; 19.9% few times a year compared with 24.8% in the previous survey while 21.1% said they did not consume carbonated soft drink at all last year compared with 28.2% in the year before.
Asked about yogurt intake, 18.6% of the respondents had yogurt everyday last year compared with 15.7% in the year before; 34.9% few times a week compared with 50.3% previously; 28.1% few times a month compared with 23.2% in the previous round of the survey; 7.9% few times a year compared with 5.1% previously while 10.4% said they did not consume yogurt last year compared with 5.5% previously.
Food, Beverage Inflation at 24.2%
The average Consumer Price Index for food and beverages in the 12-month period ending July 21, which marks the end of the fourth Iranian calendar month, Tir, jumped 24.2% compared to the corresponding period last year.
According to the Statistical Center of Iran, with a coefficient of 26.64%, the CPI of food and beverage stood at 264.9 in the month ending July 21, indicating a 6.7% increase compared with the month before.
The food and beverage index registered a year-on-year increase of 20.9%. Overall average annual inflation in Iran was 26.4% in the month under review.
The SCI put the average annual inflation rate for the preceding Iranian month, which ended on June 20, at 27.8%.
Consumer inflation for the month under review (June 21-July 21, 2020) registered a year-on-year increase of 26.9% compared with the similar month of the previous Iranian year. The year-on-year inflation of the month ending June 20 was 22.5%.
The overall CPI (using the Iranian year to March 2017 as base year) was 227.9 last month, indicating a 6.4% rise compared to the month before.
SCI put the average annual both urban and rural inflation for the month under review at 26.4%.
The CPI registered a year-on-year increase of 27% for urban areas and 25.9% for rural areas in the month ending July 21.
The overall CPI stood at 226.7 for urban households and 234.9 for rural folks, indicating a month-on-month increase of 6.5% and 5.9% for urban and rural areas, respectively.
