Iran seeks bigger share of $350m toy market
Iran’s toy market is valued at $300 million to $350 million, but domestic producers account for only about $100 million of that total, Secretary of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution Abdolhossein Khosropanah said in Tehran, as officials moved to bolster local manufacturing and curb imports.
Speaking at the 62nd meeting of the Toy Supervisory Council, Khosropanah said, “The global games and toys industry is worth around $130 billion,” adding that Iran must move toward a more coordinated governance model focused on regulation rather than traditional oversight, Mehr News Agency reported.
He outlined priorities including investment security, market development, and support for creative industries.
Industry representatives and officials also reviewed the implementation of Iran’s national toy document, a policy framework designed to align industrial production with cultural and educational goals.
The plan aims to unify fragmented data systems and improve coordination between state bodies and private manufacturers.
Hamed Alamati, head of the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA), said Iran plans to launch comprehensive scientific surveys on production and consumption trends.
“In previous years, available figures were largely estimated,” he said, adding that nationwide exhibitions are being expanded, including in rural provinces, to stimulate local markets.
Leila Babaei, a senior cultural affairs official, emphasized the need for unified data collection and inter-agency participation, noting that only one ministry has so far formally appointed a representative to the national framework.
Industry voices raised concerns over informal imports and weak enforcement. It is estimated that 60 to 70 percent of imported toys enter the country outside formal regulatory channels, prompting calls for tighter customs oversight and tariff enforcement.
Despite challenges, officials reported progress in production capacity, with more than 600 manufacturing units active and over 40 million toys produced in the current year. Exports reached $40 million across 25 countries in the year ended March 20, 2025, though officials acknowledged recent fluctuations in trade performance.
Khosropanah said the council must focus on “problem-solving governance,” not structural expansion, as Iran seeks to reposition toys not only as consumer goods but as instruments of cultural identity and child development.