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The average cost of living for a Syrian family is 3.5 million SYP, on the gates of winter..
At the end of September 2022, when winter, which the vast majority of Syrians fear, is on the doorsteps, the average cost of living for a Syrian family of five exceeded 3.5 million Syrian Pounds barrier, according to Kassioun Cost of Living Index (while the minimum amounted to 2,234,339 Syrian Pounds), which leaves Syrian people victims of the new gap that separates these costs from the minimum wage in the country (which does not exceed 92,970 Syrian pounds).
Based on issue No. 1036, Kassioun has adopted a specific method in calculating the minimum cost of living for a Syrian family of five people. It is represented in calculating the minimum costs of the necessary food basket (based on the daily need of the individual for about 2,400 Calories [or kilocalories] from various food sources). That’s why , Kassioun relied on calculating the basic meal for the individual during one day that was formulated by the Innovation and Self-Reliance Conference of the General Federation of Trade Unions in 1987 through which the productive citizen obtains the calories that guarantee his life and reproduce his working power again), given that these food costs represent 60% of the total minimum cost of living for the family, while the remaining 40% represent the other necessary needs of the family (costs of Housing, transportation, education, clothing, health, household appliances, communications... etc. )
The rise has exceeded 76.3% since the beginning of the year... and wages are the same!
The average cost of living for a Syrian family at the end of September 2022 witnessed an increase of 563,970 Syrian pounds over the costs recorded last July, as it moved from 3,010,973 Syrian pounds in July to 3,574,943 pounds in September (while the minimum cost of living for a family increased by about 352,481 Syrian pounds , moving from 1,881,858 pounds in July to 2,234,339 pounds in September), which means that costs rose by 19% in just three months (for comparison, the cost of living increased last July by 5.2% compared to costs in March).
With a closer look at the change that took place in the average family living costs during the first nine months of 2022, it is clear that the average of these costs moved from 2,026,976 Syrian pounds at the beginning of the year to 3,574,943 pounds at the end of September (while the minimum family cost of living moved from 1,266,860 Syrian pounds at the beginning of the year, to 2,234,339 liras in July). This means that the increase exceeded 76.3% in just nine months, while the minimum wage remained unchanged at the threshold of 92,970 Syrian pounds, meaning that it covers - according to September calculations - only 2.6%, after it covered approximately 4.5% at the beginning of the year. Of the average cost of living for the family.
How the costs of the food basket have changed?
The minimum basic food cost for a family of five increased from 1,129,115 Syrian pounds per month for the family in July, to 1,340,604 pounds in September, depending on the prices of these ingredients in the popular markets in the capital, Damascus.
With the exception of bread, the rises affected all components of the food basket without exception, and we will start with fruits, which rose by 3% from last July's accounts, as the cost of 200 grams of fruits necessary for an individual per day moved from 1,300 pounds in July to 1,333 pounds in September. Then sweets, which rose by 22% over the July accounts, as the cost of 112 grams of necessary sweets per person per day exceeded 2,576 pounds, while it was 2,118 pounds last July. In the same way, the cost of 70 grams of rice per person per day rose from 438 SYP in July to 504 SYP in September, that is, it increased by nearly 15%.
While bread maintained the cost of 500 grams of it per person at the price of 114 Syrian pounds, cheese increased by 8%, as the cost of 25 grams of it per person per day amounted to about 350 pounds, after it was 325 pounds in the July calculations. In this way, the cost of eggs increased by 31%, as the cost of 50 grams of eggs per day moved from about 361 pounds in July to 472 pounds at the end of September.
As for vegetables, it had the largest share of the increase, as the cost of 250 grams of it per day moved from about 455 pounds in July to 750 pounds in September, meaning that it increased by 65%. While the prices of meat (chicken and red meat) recorded an increase of 17% over the calculations of last July, as the cost of 75 grams of it per person per day moved from 2,175 pounds in July to 2,550 in September.
Other needs cost 893,736 SYP
The minimum costs for other essential needs, which constitute 40% of the total cost of living (such as housing, transportation, education, clothing, health, household items, communications ... and others) increased from 752,743 pounds in July to 893,736 pounds in September, which means that it also increased by 19% during only three months.
