The Statistical Center of Iran and the Central Bank of Iran released separate reports on the same day regarding the country’s inflation rate, both indicating the highest levels recorded in recent years.
The reports, published on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, were described by some Iranian economic media outlets as reflecting “inflation at a historic peak.”
The Central Bank estimated the year-on-year (point-to-point) inflation rate in February 2026 at 62.2 percent, the highest level since March 2023. According to its report, the monthly inflation rate reached 8.4 percent, increasing the likelihood of a historic annual inflation record by the end of the year.
At the same time, the Statistical Center of Iran reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) reached 513.6 in February 2026, and that households spent on average 68.1 percent more compared to the same month the previous year. In this report, monthly inflation was announced at 9.4 percent and the annual inflation rate at 47.5 percent.
This means that in February 2026, households across the country paid on average 68.1 percent more than in February 2025 for the same basket of goods and services.
Although there is a discrepancy between the Central Bank’s year-on-year inflation figure of 62.2 percent and the Statistical Center’s 68.1 percent, both sets of data indicate a sharp acceleration of inflation in February and clearly demonstrate mounting pressure on household livelihoods.
A monthly inflation rate of 8 to 9 percent represents a major inflationary surge. Some economists warn that if such a monthly rate were to persist for an entire year, the country could face triple-digit annual inflation.
Overall, the detailed reports from the two official institutions signal that in February 2026, a new alarm has been sounded over the return of rapidly rising inflation in Iran.
