The Effect of National Currency undervaluation on the Impact of Inflation on Iran’s Economic Growth: An Application of Artificial Neural Networks

Document Type : Scientific paper

Authors

1 Department of Economics, Ur. C., Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran

2 Department of Economic, Ur. C., Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran

3 Department of Mathematics, Ur. C., Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran

10.22080/mrl.2025.29585.2188

Abstract

In recent decades, extreme currency fluctuations have become one of the characteristics of Iran’s economy. In this regard, in addition to the economic factors that justify exchange rate changes (particularly fluctuations in the value of the USD) the government’s policy of undervaluation the national currency has attracted significant attention due to the extent of its predictable effects on the national economy. This policy is particularly emphasized by economic analysts who support development strategies. However, other analysts focus more on the inflationary consequences of implementing such policies. So as to scrutinize the economic effects of implementing this policy, the present study examines impact of national currency undervaluation on the effect of inflation on economic growth in Iran from 1980 to 2023. According to the results, although the direct control of exchange rates cannot be defended, the positive and expansionary effects of inflation on economic growth due to the national currency undervaluation in the free market are demonstrated. Nonetheless, in a country like Iran, where controlling inflation must be a top priority for economic goals and policies, the policy of depreciating the national currency cannot easily be supported. In fact, the successful implementation of advanced economic policies requires a deep examination of the country's infrastructure, influential macroeconomic variables, and level of development. The present study focuses on the level of financial development and physical capital indices as infrastructures and effective variables influencing economic growth. 

Keywords

Main Subjects


Abdelsalam, M. A. M. (2023). Oil Price Fluctuations and Economic Growth: The case of MENA Countries. Review of Economics and Political Science, 8(5), 353-379. https://doi.org/10.1108/REPS-12-2019-0162
Ahuja, H. L. (2022). Principles of Macroeconomics: Theory and Policy (20th ed.). S. Chand Publishing. https://upscbookswala.com
Alam, M. S., Rabbani, M. R., Tausif, M. R., & Abey, J. (2021). Banks’ Performance and Economic Growth in India: A Panel Cointegration Analysis. Economies, 9(1), 38. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies9010038
Anderl, C., & Caporale, G. M. (2023). Nonlinearities in the Exchange Rate Pass-Through: The Role of Inflation Expectations. International Economics, 173, 86-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inteco.2022.10.003
Anwar, C. J., Okot, N., Suhendra, I., Yolanda, S., Ginanjar, R. A. F., & Sutjipto, H. (2022). Response of Exchange Rate to Monetary Policy Shocks: An Evidence from Indonesia. International Journal of Economics and Finance Studies, 14(1), 443-466.‏ DOI:10.34109/ijefs.20220020
Asfuroğlu, D. (2021). The Determinants of Inflation in Emerging Markets and Developing Countries: A Literature Review. Anadolu Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 21(2), 483-504.‏ DOI:10.18037/ausbd.959251
Azam, M., & Khan, S. (2022). Threshold Effects in the Relationship between Inflation and Economic Growth: Further Empirical Evidence from the Developed and Developing World. International Journal of Finance & Economics, 27(4), 4224-4243. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijfe.2368
Bagsic, C. (2025). The impact of currency depreciation on bank lending and real sector growth. Journal of International Economics, 78(1), 15–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ememar.2025.101279
Bernoth, K. and Herwatz, H. (2019). Exchange Rates, Foreign Currency, Exposure and Sovereign Risk. Journal of International Money and Finance, vol. 117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jimonfin.2021.102454
Bhat, J. A., & Bhat, S. A. (2022). On the Dynamics of Exchange Rate Pass-Through: Asymmetric Evidence from India. International Journal of Emerging Markets, 17(8), 2110-2133.‏ https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOEM-12-2019-1071
Chandra, R. (2022). Endogenous Growth in Historical Perspective: From Adam Smith to Paul Romer. London: Palgrave Macmillan.‏ DOI:10.1007/978-3-030-83761-7
Demir, F., & Razmi, A. (2022). The Real Exchange Rate and Development Theory, Evidence, Issues and Challenges. Journal of Economic Surveys, 36(2), 386-428.‏ https://doi.org/10.1111/joes.12418
Eita, J. H., Khumalo, Z. Z., & Choga, I. (2021). Productivity and Real Exchange Rate: Investigating the Balassa-Samuelson Effect and misalignment in Five African Countries. Scientific Annals of Economics and Business (continues Analele Stiintifice), vol. 68(2), 177-194. DOI: 10.47743/saeb-2021-0011
Fisera, B., Tiruneh, M. W., & Hojdan, D. (2021). Currency Depreciations in Emerging Economies: A Blessing or a Curse for External Debt Management? International Economics, 168, 132-165.‏ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inteco.2021.09.003
Gerlach, S., & Stuart, R. (2021). Commodity Prices and Global Inflation, 1851-1913. Journal of International Money and Finance, vol. 144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jimonfin.2024.103097
Hall, S. G., Tavlas, G. S., & Wang, Y. (2023). Drivers and Spillover Effects of Inflation: The United States, the Euro Area, and the United Kingdom. Journal of International Money and Finance, 131, 102776.‏ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jimonfin.2022.102776
Hassanzadeh, M., & Mousavi, S. (2023). Real Effective Exchange Rate Misalignment and Currency Crisis in Iran. Future Business Journal, 9(1), 1-8.‏ [In Persian]. DOI: 10.1186/s43093-023-00182-8
Hoomani Farahani, M., Najar Ghabel, S., & Mohammadpour, R. (2021). The Effect of Inflation Threshold on Financial Development and Economic Growth: A Case Study of D-8 Countries. Iranian Economic Review, 25(3), 465-475.  [In Persian]. 10.22059/ier.2021.84143
Hsieh, C. T., Klenow, P. J., & Nath, I. (2023). A Global View of Creative Destruction. Journal of Political Economy Macroeconomics, 1(2), 243-275. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/724833?journalCode=jpema
Ijaz, U. (2021). Impact of Inflation on Economic Growth in Pakistan. Economic Consultant, 34(2), 33-41.‏ DOI:10.46224/ecoc.2021.2.4
Itskhoki, O., & Mukhin, D. (2021). Exchange Rate Disconnect in General Equilibrium. Journal of Political Economy, 129(8), 2183-2232.‏ DOI: 10.1086/714447
Kandil, M., & Mirzaie, I. A. (2021). Macroeconomic Policies and the Iranian Economy in the era of Sanctions. Middle East Development Journal, 13(1), 78-98. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.1080/17938120.2021.1898190
Khan, M. (2016). Evidence on the Functional form of Inflation and Output Growth Variability Relationship in European Economies. International Economics, 146, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inteco.2015.07.002
Khyareh, M. M., & Rostami, N. (2022). Macroeconomic Conditions, Innovation and Competitiveness. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 13(2), 1321-1340.‏ [In Persian]. DOI:10.1007/s13132-021-00752-7
Lilley, A., Maggiori, M., Neiman, B., & Schreger, J. (2022). Exchange Rate Reconnect. Review of Economics and Statistics, 104(4), 845-855. https://doi.org/10.1162/rest_a_00978
Li, Z., & Zhao, Y. (2025). Forecasting Exchange Rate Volatility and Economic Growth Using Hybrid Artificial Neural Networks: Evidence from Emerging Markets. Journal of Economic Forecasting, 48(2), 75–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intfin.2024.102067
Morvillier, F. (2020). Do Currency Undervaluations Affect the Impact of Inflation on Growth? Economic Modelling, 84, 275- 292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econmod.2019.04.018
Monfared, S. M., Mohammadi, T., Khezri, M. and Parivar, O. (2020). Role of Financial Development Effectiveness in Determinate Input and Inflation. Scientific Quarterly of Economic Modeling, 15(55), 113-138. [In Persian]. 10.30495/eco.2022.1943459.2585
Mozaffari, Z, and Vaysi, F. (2023). The Effect of Income Inequality on Ecological Footprint in Iran. Stable Economy, 4(3), 82-105. [In Persian]. 10.22111/sedj.2023.46163.1367
Ojuolape, A. M. (2021). Currency Devaluation: A review. Chiang Mai University Journal of Economics, 25(2), 15-35.‏ https://so01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/CMJE/article/view/247899
Sadeghi, A., Marzban, H., Samadi, A. H., Azarbayejani, K., & Rostamzadeh, P. (2022). Inflationary Effects of the Foreign Currency Shocks with Different Sources: The Response of Monetary Policy in a Developing Economy. Iranian Economic Review, 28(3), 695-729. [In Persian]. 10.22059/ier.2024.334485.1007328
Sayeh Miri, A., Ahmadi, K., & Omidi, M. (2019). The Impact of Inflation on Economic Growth: A Meta-Analysis Approach. Journal of Development and Capital, 5(2), 137-151. [In Persian]. 10.22103/jdc.2020.16094.1099
Sever, C. (2021). Political Booms and Currency Crises. Journal of Macroeconomics, 70, 103373.‏ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmacro.2021.103373
Shahbazi, K. & Najarghabel, S. (2017). Nonlinear Effect of National Currency Undervaluation on Economic Growth in Iran: Application of Smooth Transition Autoregressive Models. Quarterly Journal of Applied Economics Studies in Iran, 6(21), 123-147. [In Persian]. 10.22084/aes.2017.1800
Nenove, T., Schrimpf, A. & Shin, H. S. (2025). Global portfolio investments and FX derivatives. BIS Working Paper No. 1273. https://www.bis.org/publ/work1273.pdf
Sitompul, S., Ichsan, R. N., & Nasution, L. (2021). The Influence of Exchange Rate, Inflation, For the Results of the Development Assets of Islamic Banks, JEFMS Journal, 4(3), 138-148.‏ DOI:10.47191/jefms/v4-i3-05
Sivor, P. (2021). Financial deepening and the growth effects of exchange rate depreciation. Journal of Financial Development Studies, 13(3), 144–169, DOI:10.9790/5933-1101053749
Trancoso, T., & Gomes, S. (2023). Beyond the dollar: A Global Perspective on Exchange Rate Dynamics via Currency Factors. Finance Research Letters, 58, 104261.‏ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2023.104261
Verdelhan, A. (2018). The Share of Systematic Variation in Bilateral Exchange Rates. The Journal of Finance, 73(1), 375-418. https://doi.org/10.1111/jofi.12587