Cairo– Continuous changes and increases in the prices of commodities and services during the past two years confused the lives of the Egyptians, especially with the double prices several times and the income is not sufficient for most families, whether it is from salaries or pensions, to buy their monthly needs, and a suitable monthly budget has become enough for the family to talk between the Egyptians in their councils and on communication platforms.
Previous data issued by the Central Agency for Mobilization and Statistics indicates that the costs of food and drink increased by about 200% during the period in which the price of the dollar rose from 6 pounds to 24 pounds, and the food represents the largest component of the Egyptian family spending by 37%, which makes its increase an important impact on the standard of living of millions of Egyptian families.
While the exchange rate of the dollar against the Egyptian pound now has exceeded 50 pounds, which means that the prices of food increased by large proportions due to the change of the dollar exchange rate alongside other factors, which increase the rate of inflation, including increasing cash in the markets due to the increase in the printing of banknotes.
After the January 25 revolution, the Egyptian government and the Future National Party – which is the legacy of the dissolved National Party after the January 25 revolution – is conducting exhibitions of commodities at reduced prices, but citizens are disappointed with them when they discover that prices in these exhibitions are not different from their counterparts in the markets.
Olessness of goods and reduce quantities
Sherif El -Sayed, a retired employee of one of the private sector companies, told Al -Jazeera Net: The prices have changed significantly in the past two years than the previous one.
Al -Sayed added that I had to dispense with the purchase of high -priced fruits such as apples, and I reduced the amount of meat that I was buying monthly, and with the high prices of electricity, I had to dispense with the operation of the air conditioner in the summer, and he concludes his speech by saying: Any family of 4 people needs at least 25 thousand pounds (494 dollars) per month in order to be able to face the requirements of life.
Mervat Ahmed, a housewife, told Al -Jazeera Net that commodity prices have doubled, perhaps 4 or 5 times during the last three years, and most families income became not enough throughout the month, especially since the prices are constantly increasing from one month to another.
The Egyptian citizen added that any family needs 30 thousand pounds today (592 dollars) per month in order to be able to meet their needs of food commodities and pay electricity, water and gas bills, in addition to treatment, which is an important and costly item.
Housing and education burden
The economist, Dr. Fakhry Al -Fiqi, spoke to Al -Jazeera.
He explained that the stereotypes model assumes that the husband and wife are working and have a salary or pension if they are of retirement, and that the state raises salaries and pensions annually in an attempt to reduce the burden of high prices of goods and services to citizens.
The economist demands the state to provide housing units for citizens, especially young people, with reasonable rent, and no more than a quarter of the monthly income, saying: If we assume that the minimum salary is 6 thousand and 7 thousand pounds (118-138 dollars), then the rent of the apartment in government housing must be up to 1500 pounds (about 30 dollars) and the citizen in this apartment remains as long as his income is less than 10 thousand pounds (197 dollars). His income exceeded that moves from government housing to another private housing.
Asked about his expectation of the level of inflation in the coming period, Dr. Fakhry Al -Fiqi told Al -Jazeera.net that inflation decreased from 40% in 2024 to 23% at the present time and it is continuing to decline but slowly, and I expect it to reach 15% or 16% during the current year 2025, indicating that the Central Bank of Egypt follows a strict monetary policy by restricting and controlling cash liquidity in order to reduce the level of inflation, which leads to the level of inflation Low prices in the markets.
The economist, Dr. Khaled Al -Shafei, also stated in his interview with “Al -Jazeera Net” that the fact that the prices of goods and services are highly and continuously in the Egyptian markets that have negatively affected the lives of most families, which are not sufficient for income to meet the monthly living requirements, and there is no realistic solution except by rationalizing consumption so that the family buys the basic and necessary needs until the prices subsided.
Dr. Al -Shafi’i added that a specific monthly budget cannot be determined for the Egyptian family, because the matter varies from one family to another according to the number of its members and whether they live in rent in rent, as well as the quality of education that its children joined government or private, and other elements that constitute the monthly family expenses.
It was Professor of Home Economics at Helwan University Dr. Radwa Hamza has sparked widespread controversy after hosting a TV program, as she provided economic advice to manage the expenses of the Egyptian family. She emphasized that 3 thousand pounds (about 60 dollars) are sufficient to meet the monthly family needs.
Her speech caused a sensation among the Egyptians, and Dr. Karim Al -Omda, the economist, responded to what Dr. Radwa Hamza said, and he said: The current estimates of the average income of the Egyptian family are greatly different from the numbers that were circulated in these media statements, adding that the amount of 3 thousand pounds per month, which was referred to as a minimum to cover the needs of the family, was considered appropriate for about 10 years, specifically in 2010, It is now sufficient to meet the basic family needs.
The economist stressed that the current situation requires at least 20 thousand pounds (about 395 dollars) per month to cover the basic expenses of the family, including education in government schools and government universities, in addition to health insurance for parents, but if the family depends on private education and private health services, the required amount may exceed 35 thousand pounds ($ 691) per month.
Complaint
On social media pages, the Egyptians often discuss about the budget appropriate to the livelihood of the family monthly, and the entertainment is mixed with difficult living conditions and the difficulties of facing the requirements of life and complaining about them with the laughing ridicule that the Egyptians are famous for.
Under the title “Furned Citizen”, Ahmed Badawi wrote on his Facebook page, “Thinking about determining a monthly budget for the family expenses has become very difficult, especially with the continuous rise in prices and its instability at a certain limit, while keeping pace with that the firmness of the monthly income of the family, and he went on, saying: The Egyptian government is still silent and unable to do anything to raise the suffering of living from the simple citizen who complained about the land of the land ..”
“The family needs 20 thousand pounds (about 395 dollars) per month, unfortunately, and we are not walking with the salaries of the helpless government, and the citizen Mohammed Jaber agrees with it on the same number of the Egyptian family budget, which is 20 thousand pounds,” says Reem Mohamed.
While Kamal Farouk Al -Zuhri says, “15 thousand pounds (about 296 dollars) may suffice the family monthly, but without paying a residential rent.”
As for the citizen, Mohammed Al -Sukari, he says, “If the family of 4 individuals need 40 thousand pounds (790 dollars) per month, by God.”
