Coinciding with the resignation of the minister of industry and mines due to the sluggish performance of the two sectors of the economy, the minister of welfare announced that close to 10 million of Iranians live below the absolute poverty line. Together with the official announcement of the inflation rate, the news delivers a heavy blow to the Ahmadinejad Administration, particularly since the administration was previously warned by economists that its policies will drive more Iranians below the poverty line and increase inflation.

The welfare minister, Abdol-Reza Mesri, appeared at the Majlis social committee on Saturday and announced that about 9.2 million Iranians live below the absolute poverty line. About 10.5 percent of residents in urban and 11 percent of residents in rural areas live below the absolute poverty line. Nevertheless, Mr. Mesri insisted that indicators used in computing the poverty line must be changed. The minister’s persistent suggestion to abandon internationally recognized methods of computing the poverty line has been met with the reaction of experts and professionals. Economic analysts warn that such a measure would only conceal the government’s failure in combating poverty and improving social justice.

During his visit to the Majlis social committee on Saturday, the minister also refrained from commenting on the general poverty line. He spoke only about the “absolute poverty line.” Nevertheless, his remarks raise concerns that a significant portion of the Iranian populace may be living below the poverty line.