On October 9, 2014, Pew Research Center released a report that examined public opinion about opportunity and inequality around the world. The report, which was based on surveys conducted in 44 countries, did not however include the opinions of the Iranian people. In its CATI omnibus poll fielded in May 2015, IranPoll.com asked Pew’s questions regarding the financial prospects for the next generation and the factors that most affect one’s socioeconomic status in life from the Iranian people.
In general, Iranian people are not very different from people in other emerging economies. While an overwhelming majority (86%) of Iranians think that young people would be better off not emigrating to another country, only half (50%) think that the next generation will be financially better off than their parents. Also, a majority (55%) of Iranians at least “mostly” agree that “success in life is pretty much determined by forces outside of our control.”
Income inequality is a huge concern in Iran as it is in most other emerging economies. Some two out of three (63%) of Iranians think that the gap between the rich and poor is a “very big problem” in Iran. As for the determinants of success, Iranians give working hard, having good education, and, of course, knowing the “right people,” quite high scores.
The following charts compares where Iranian people stand as compared to other countries in the word on opportunities, in equality, and determinants of success:
