Lebanon today »The high cost precedes income .. How much does the Lebanese family need monthly?

While prices in Lebanon continue to rise at a continuous pace, the Lebanese and Syrian refugees find themselves in the face of a daily battle to secure their basic needs, in light of the decline in the value of aid and its inability to keep up with inflation for those who depend mainly on external programs, which support the poverty families. In November 2024, according to a new study issued by the Central Administration for Statistics in the World Food Program, which Lebanon was seen 24, the cost of the minimum survival (SMEB) for a family of five individuals is approximately 40.5 million Lebanese pounds ($ 449), while The cost of meeting the basic needs (MEB) reached 50.3 million pounds ($ 559). These numbers reveal an annual increase ranging between 19% and 23%, which reflects the size of the economic deterioration that weighs the most vulnerable groups, according to the study.

Despite the stability of the prices of some commodities in November, the cost of the minimum food basket of the individual increased to 3.41 million pounds (37.6 dollars), which represents an increase of 10% compared to last year. As for the basic food basket, it has witnessed a slight decrease monthly, but it recorded an annual increase between 8% and 9%, making daily food insurance a growing challenge for poor families.

On the other hand, the study indicates that inflation was not less severe in non -nutritional expenditures, as the cost of commodities and basic services increased at a faster pace. The cost of the minimum food basket of the family reached 23.5 million pounds ($ 261), while the basic non -food basket reached 28.3 million pounds ($ 314), recording an annual increase by 28% and 38%, respectively. This rise is primarily due to the continuous increase in home gas prices and rents, which makes stability a long -standing dream for many refugees in the first degree.

Amid these situations, the question remains: Are the aid provided to cover these increasing needs? Reality indicates the opposite. The World Bank Aman, which aims to support the most poor Lebanese families, gives 20 dollars per month for food and $ 25 for the family for other expenditures, but these amounts are only covered only 53% of food needs, a decrease from 58% in the previous year, while not It covers more than 10% of non -food expenses.

As for the Syrian refugees, the cash assistance allocated to them was modified as of November 2024, for each individual to receive $ 20 for food and $ 45 for the family for non -food expenses. This increase, which was scheduled to be implemented in January 2025, was presented as a result of the escalation of the conflict, but it was not sufficient to compensate for inflation, as it covers only 53% of the cost of the minimum food, and only 17% of the cost of non -food expenditures.

In the toll of a total, the study figures indicate that inflation rates in Lebanon continued to rise in November 2024, where the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), according to the Central Statistics Department, recorded a monthly increase by 2.3%. On a quarterly basis, inflation reached 4.2%, while the annual rate decreased slightly to 15%, to record the lowest annual inflation rate since February 2020.

The figures indicated that food prices recorded a 3%increase, leaving the increase in last October, amounting to 5%. Nevertheless, food inflation rates continued to escalate on a quarterly basis, reaching 9.2%, while annual inflation settled at 23%.

As for energy prices, it recorded a slight monthly increase of 0.1%. However, the semester of the energy of the energy remained in the negative range of -4.4%, while the annual inflation witnessed a slight improvement, as it reduced to -9%after it was -14%, indicating relative stability in energy costs.

The largest increase this month was in the water, electricity, gas, and fuel index, which jumped by 8.4%, which made it the main driver to increase general inflation, followed by the prices of foodstuffs that increased by 3%.