Effects of International Sanctions and Other Determinants on Iran’s Inflation Rate (1981-2014)

Abstract

Due to the historical importance of inflation in the Iranian economy and its serious effects on the society, the present study has explored the impacts of international sanctions and other effective factors on the inflation rate in Iran during 1981-2014. To this end, this paper has specified an econometric model of inflation rate, which has been estimated by the ARDL method using relevant time series data including the above period. The empirical results obtained indicate that the international sanctions have had direct and significant effects on the inflation rate through changes in exchange rate and budget deficit. Additionally, exchange rate, money liquidity and deposit interest rate have had positive and significant effects on the inflation rate, while oil revenues and tax earnings have influenced indirectly and significantly Iran’s inflation rate over the period.

Keywords

• exchange rate
• government budget deficit
• international sanctions
• iran