This article provides an overview of the current situation with regard to the glass industry in Iran. In April 2013, Iran's national statistical centre announced that inflation had surpassed 40% during the previous 12 month period. The official unemployment rate was pegged at 11.2%, while the local currency's value has depreciated by over 50% during the past two years. The Iranian economy and industry in general if facing one of its worst crises, yet not everything is failing within the Iranian economy. The local glass industry has exhibited remarkable resilience in the face of these adversities. It has realised considerable expansion in the last decade, including expansion by existing producers and the establishment of a number of new factories in all three main sub-sectors: Container glass; flat glass, and tableware. Unlike many other glass producing nations, the tableware sub-sector is huge and is almost comparable with the other two dominant sub-sectors.
