Rising costs of living are currently impacting people and households in many parts of the world, as post-pandemic life sees war, drought and economic hardship.
Spain’s severe drought is not only causing a water crisis, but the knock-on effect is that certain foods and vegetables are also facing shortages, especially the national favorite, olives.
According to the National Institute of Statistics, food prices in Spain rose by 7.3 percent in December 2023, and food inflation in Spain increased by an average of 3.04 percent from 2003 to 2023, peaking at 16.64 percent in February 2023. reached (INE).
On Wednesday, January 10, the Spanish government announced that it would extend until 2024 household support measures to combat rising costs of living, which were originally implemented in 2023. This includes reducing taxes on food products and, specifically, eliminating the grocery tax. or reduced value added tax on certain foods such as fruit and vegetables, pasta, and cooking oil.
But for many workers in Spain, the government’s efforts are woefully inadequate, and they claim they are struggling even more each month to buy the essentials to feed their families. Euro Weekly News spoke to Angel Aguera, a father of two who has worked as a bartender for the past 13 years. “While my wage has increased over the last few years, our standard of living has fallen significantly,” he explains, adding, “My wife has to plan the week’s meals diligently, so If an unexpected expense arises, we have to go without it. It’s very disappointing to say that I work 50 hours a week,” Claire Hill, also from Spain, told EWN. “When I first moved here six years ago, I couldn’t believe everything was so cheap, but now it’s very expensive to run a grocery store, and some things like vegetables… is much higher than here.” I’m in England now. ”
So what is the solution for the average person in Spain who wants to live in reasonable comfort? Experts predict that inflation will fall in the coming months, and the government will provide support for all those struggling. We are committed to continuing our support. But for now, it seems many people are having to cut back on items that once might have been added to shopping carts without a second thought, but have now become unaffordable luxuries. .
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