В опросе в Иране 9 из 10 респондентов отказались от брака и детей из-за экономического кризиса

Nine out of 10 respondents to an Iran International Instagram poll said they did not want to marry or have children under Iran’s current economic, social and political conditions, according to results gathered from about 100,000 participants. More than 12,000 people also commented on the poll, with financial pressure, housing costs, employment uncertainty and concerns about children’s futures repeatedly emerging as reasons for delaying or rejecting marriage and parenthood. Many respondents said the rising cost of everyday life had made starting a family increasingly difficult. Some said they were struggling to cover their own expenses and could not see how they could financially support a spouse or child. Others said they still wanted to marry or have children but lacked the financial and social conditions necessary to do so. Iran has faced years of high inflation and a sharp decline in the value of its currency, reducing household purchasing power and making housing and other basic necessities increasingly difficult to afford. The economic pressure has also been compounded by international sanctions and government policies at home and abroad. The extent to which those factors have contributed to Iran’s economic difficulties remains a subject of ongoing political debate. Marriage viewed as high-risk decision Financial concerns were not the only reason respondents gave for avoiding marriage. Personal experiences of divorce and unsuccessful marriages appeared repeatedly in the comments, with some participants describing marriage under current circumstances as a “high-risk decision.” Others who were already married said they had chosen not to have children because of prevailing economic and social conditions. Mistrust and difficulties in finding a suitable partner were also cited among the reasons for avoiding marriage, although a smaller number of respondents expressed support for marriage or having children. Parents worry about children's future Concerns about the environment in which children would grow up formed another major theme in the poll responses. Some respondents said they wanted children but were unwilling to bring them into a society where they feared their children could face poverty, inflation, electricity shortages, insecurity and an uncertain future. Some participants used particularly strong language, describing having children under the current circumstances as a “crime” or a “betrayal” because they believed parents could not guarantee their children an adequate quality of life or a secure future. Iran faces wider environmental challenges The concerns expressed by respondents also extend beyond household finances and politics. Iran is facing serious environmental challenges, including air pollution, groundwater depletion, forest fires and wider degradation of ecosystems. Experts have linked these problems to a combination of poor policymaking, weak environmental protections, corruption and insufficient resources, adding another layer of uncertainty for people considering whether to raise children in the country. Political and social conditions deepen pessimism Some participants directly connected their decisions about marriage and parenthood to Iran’s political and social circumstances and their expectations for the country’s future. Years of economic hardship have coincided with repeated waves of anti-government protests and deadly crackdowns, as well as restrictions on political and social freedoms. For some respondents, these pressures appear to have transformed decisions about marriage and children into a broader assessment of what kind of future remains possible in Iran. Who took part in the poll? Men accounted for 68% of the respondents, while women represented 32%. The largest age group was people aged 25 to 34, who made up 40.3% of participants. They were followed by respondents aged 35 to 44, who accounted for 29.2%. Participants aged 18 to 24 represented 13.3%, while those aged 45 to 54 made up 9.8% of respondents. More than 12,000 comments accompanied the poll, providing additional explanations for the choices reflected in the results. The responses suggest that the debate is not simply about whether people can afford to get married or raise children. For many participants, economic hardship, social uncertainty, political tensions and concerns about the environment have combined to shape how they view their personal futures. The scale and substance of the responses point to a deeper question for many Iranians: whether they see a future in which they can afford to build families — and, more importantly, whether they want to bring children into the conditions they expect that future to bring.