Iranian government budgets: An analysis

The Iranian Constitution of 1979 greatly enhanced the role of the government in regard to the economy. However, despite the constitutionally mandated duties of the government, its economic role, as measured by its real expenditures, have been shrinking over time. This is true for almost all categories of expenditures, including defense. One could also observe changes in direction of budgets, toward more current spending, in response to national or international events, such as the Iran–Iraq war or the decline in oil prices; at the same time budgetary measures have been taken to assist lower income classes.