Dairy consumption in Iran has fallen to about half the recommended level. Ahmad Esmaeilzadeh, director general of the community nutrition improvement office at the Islamic Republic's Health Ministry, said on Sunday, 18 October 2026, that average daily dairy consumption in the country is about one serving, whereas most age groups need two to three servings and the elderly need three to four servings a day.
He said the main consequence of the shortfall is reduced calcium intake, which leads to stunted growth and short stature in childhood and osteoporosis in old age. Esmaeilzadeh named traditional beliefs as the first cause of falling consumption and price as the second, and said the Health Ministry has no role in setting prices.
147 percent dairy inflation
Statistics from the Islamic Republic's Statistical Centre, however, show price playing a more prominent role: dairy prices in June–July 2026 were up 147 percent on a year earlier, and food inflation had reached 134 percent nationwide and 140 percent in rural areas. According to data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), per capita dairy consumption in Iran fell from 101 kilograms a year in 2010 to 70 kilograms in 2023, and more recent estimates put the figure between 40 and 70 kilograms.
Mohammadreza Banitaba, spokesman for the Iran Dairy Industries Association, blamed mandated pricing for the pressure on producers and said about 80 percent of dairy companies have shut down over the past two decades, their number falling from around a thousand to nearly 200.
Smaller tables for households
The fall in dairy consumption is part of a broader trend: the prices of chicken and eggs have multiplied and Iran's economy has sunk into recession. Households are cutting more items from their food basket, and the consequence, by the admission of the authorities themselves, threatens the health of the next generation.
Daily dairy consumption in Iran has fallen to about one serving, half the minimum recommended amount.
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