Iran has been experiencing a significant brain drain since the 1979 revolution, with the trend escalating in recent years due to strict laws imposed by the mullahs’ regime, such as severe restrictions on social and political freedoms, constant insults to citizens, and unfavourable economic conditions.
The European Commission Statistics Office reports that in 2022, EU member states approved 169,068 asylum applications, a 22 percent increase compared to 2021. Furthermore, 384,245 eligible asylum seekers were supported by EU member states last year, representing a 40 percent increase compared to the previous year.
Massoud Bischiyan, a member of the Iranian regime’s Majlis, highlighted the dilemma of university professors migrating due to low salaries. Professors earn only $300 a month in Iran, while foreign governments offer up to $10,000 per month. Consequently, many Iranian professors have requested to leave the country, as reported by the semi-official Eghtesad Online website.
A senior World Bank expert estimates that the brain drain results in losses equivalent to twice the country’s oil revenue. According to Safdar Hosseinabadi, Secretary-General of the Association of Top Talents of Iran, 82 or 83 of the 86 International Science Olympiad medalists from Iran have left the country.
The regime’s Arman newspaper noted that the brain drain has caused 300 times more damage to Iran’s economy than the Iran-Iraq war.
Research by Stanford University revealed that the proportion of Iranian emigrants tripled in 2018 compared to 1979, with many being well-educated. A Gallup survey conducted between 2015 and 2017 showed that a quarter of Iranian intellectuals and experts would leave the country if given the chance.
Foreign governments are eager to welcome Iranian expatriates, with many students studying abroad opting not to return home due to better job prospects and personal freedoms. Baqer Larijani, President of Iran’s 11th Scientific Olympiad of Medical Students, said that between 150,000 and 180,000 educated specialists leave Iran each year, emphasizing the need to utilize this human capital domestically.
Nevertheless, the Iranian regime remains focused on regional terrorism and a clandestine nuclear weapons program rather than utilizing the country’s human capital for economic development. Bahram Salavati, Director of the Iranian Immigration Observatory, stated that there is no clear plan to make use of Iran’s significant human capital.
The state-run Youth Journalists Club ranks Iran second in the world in terms of brain drain. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned in a 1999 study that brain drain can have negative economic consequences for developing countries, as an investment in education may not lead to faster economic growth if highly educated individuals emigrate.
Talented individuals in Iran often lack government support and face detention or imprisonment if they express dissent or freedom of thought. This contrasts sharply with other countries that recognize the importance of individual talent for economic growth and development.
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