A typical family of four needs $1,213,798.81 to break through the poverty line in October, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC). Compared with September, both the Basic Food Basket (CBA) and the Total Basket (CBT) rose by 3.1%.
Thus, the two baskets are higher than the inflation rate for the ninth month of the year, which reached 2.3%. From January to October, the Central Bank of Egypt and the Central Bank of Tunisia recorded increases of 21.1% and 18.5%, respectively.
Compared to the tenth month of 2024, increases of 25.2% were recorded in the CBA program and 23% in the CBT program, according to the organization.
For a family of three, the CBA was $433,330 and $966,325 in cash transfers, for a total of $1,399,655.
The number gets even higher when it comes to a typical home: $544,304 for a CBA and $1,213,799 for a CBT, for a total of $1,758,103 in October.
While for a family of five, US$1,849,137 was needed: US$572,488 from CBA and US$1,276,649 from the Central Bank of Tunisia.
The report also displays a table of the monthly development of the baskets. In the case of the CBA, the equivalent adult value rose from $170,788 in September to $176,150 in October, while the cash transfer increased from $380,858 to $392,815 in the same period. In both cases, the increase was 3.1%.
Over the year, monthly differences showed a moderate trend, with increases ranging between 0.9% and 5.9% for CBA, and between 0.1% and 4% for CBT.
On an annual basis, the increase in the food basket was slightly higher than the total basket.
Reference values
The value of the baskets constitutes a central reference for measuring poverty and destitution. Families whose total income is less than the cost of the total basic food basket are considered poor, while families that cannot cover the basic food basket are classified as destitute.
The technical report comes within the “Living Conditions” series issued by the official authority monthly. Its publication is consistent with the reporting schedule provided by Indec and takes Greater Buenos Aires as a reference, although the data are usually used as a national reference for assessing the development of purchasing power and socio-economic conditions of the population.
Finally, the document reiterates that “the approved cash rate is evaluated each month by prices surveyed by the Greater Buenos Aires Consumer Price Index,” and that the cash rate is determined “by applying the Engel coefficient,” taking into account food and non-food goods included in the observed consumption patterns.
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