High prices for basic goods are reducing consumer spending. Although these are essential food items, citizens say they are buying less and are even avoiding fruits or vegetables that are too expensive.
“They are very expensive. We can’t afford them. There is high unemployment, and we are barely managing. How difficult is it for pensioners or elderly people to afford everything? Very difficult. Extremely difficult. We can’t afford it. With medicines and everything else… Do your children help you? My daughter is unemployed. She graduated from university in education, but she has no job. My son was working, but with such low wages, he can barely cover his own expenses,” says one pensioner.
According to citizens, the cost of living weighs most heavily on pensioners. Many say that a significant portion of their pension is spent on medicines alone, leaving increasingly less money for basic food items.
“It couldn’t get any worse. Why is this happening? Which things are more expensive? Everything! The entire basket of goods has become expensive. Then there are medicines, everything. Can a pensioner afford everything on the pension they receive? If our children didn’t help us, we wouldn’t make it. We’re devastated. Medicines alone cost 36,000 lek,” another citizen says.
The rise in prices is not limited to basic basket goods. According to citizens, bread, one of the most basic staples, has also become more expensive, placing an even greater strain on household budgets.
In addition to prices, citizens are also raising concerns about food quality, citing cases of products rejected abroad due to pesticide residues. According to them, cutting back on consumption is not only linked to financial constraints, but also to uncertainty about the food that ultimately ends up on their tables.
“Not with these incomes, not with these pensions. What can you afford? You have to choose the cheapest things. And this has a negative impact, leading to poor nutrition and many other problems, like what is happening now with harmful substances and pesticides. Meat is very rare; people simply can’t afford it. Now, just to satisfy the craving, they might buy a meatball, without even knowing what ingredients it contains,” says one citizen.
With prices continuing to rise and pensions that, according to citizens, no longer cover basic needs, household consumption is shrinking day by day. For many families, choosing between food and medicines has become a daily reality.
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