In January, prices of basic foods rose 7.75% against an average inflation of 7.3% in the city of Buenos Aires, bringing the poverty line for a typical household to $89,837.
Meanwhile, the basket of poverty saw a 6.78% increase, costing $163,339, excluding rent, according to data from the Buenos Aires City Directorate of Statistics and Censuses.
Adding in a modest rent, a typical family needed more than $220,000 in order not to be poor.
With these values, the poverty line increased by 110.16% in 12 months (from $42,747 to $89,837) and the poverty line by 104.2% (from $79,988 to $163,339).
The 7.75% increase in food prices marks a strong acceleration. In December they had increased by 5.1% and by 3.8% in November. And the increases are expected to continue in February due to the increase in the prices of meat products and flour.
As a result, rising prices have hit low-income families hardest, who devote 100% of their meager income to food.
These values explain why poverty continues to grow because, although there were higher levels of employment, they are concentrated in the informal sectors of precarious jobs, with lower incomes.
In turn, to pay the expenses of an average industry, the income would have to exceed $251,423, not counting any rent. If so, it would be over $340,000.
The main impulses in food came from vegetables, tubers and legumes (14.2%), fruit (13.6%), meat and derivatives (4.9%), bread and cereals (4.1%) and Milk, dairy products and eggs (4.6%).
In the 12 months, on the other hand, three-digit increases prevailed: Bread and cereals recorded an increase of 109.0%, Meat and derivatives 75.5%, Fish 107.1%, Milk, dairy products and eggs 106, 7%, Oils, fats and other fats 129.0%, Fruit 139.2%, Vegetables, tubers and legumes 140.4% Sugar, pastry and desserts 98.3% and Other foods 101.0%.
In the city of Buenos Aires, poverty affects 17.6% of families (236,000) and 23% of the population. The poor are 707,000, of which 254,000 are indigent (8.3%), according to the third quarter report of the Statistics and Census Directorate of the CABA
Source: Clarin
