The deep recession hits the vast majority of Argentines. If the situation was already complex for almost the entire population prior to the devaluation (54%) end of 2023later it got even worse. Today, not even having a registered job helps workers meet all their needs.since 30% of formal employees are below the poverty line. In this context, pArt of the population modifies its consumption habits month by month to adjust and thus try to make ends meet.
Argentine society “shrinks its spaces for enjoyment” and also “sociability” in the midst of an “uncomfortable, deteriorating” time. So it is that, about seven out of ten Argentines decreased their dinners out or celebrations (-65%) in the first semesteraccording to the consulting firm’s opinion survey Public Sentiments.
Around 40% of Argentines reduced their meat consumption, which is expected to be the lowest in the last 100 years in 2024. Likewise, the consumption of “coffee in cafeterias, edible gratifications and even their inputs in meals” also decreased by about that figure, they noted in the survey.
Consumption: what are the main cuts of Argentines
The survey carried out by the consulting firm he directs Hernan Vanoli analyzed 2,500 cases, where 60% of those consulted said they cut back on their cultural consumptionas well as the 58% responded that they made adjustments in the purchase of clothing and another 57% in tourism.
It should be noted that, a few days ago, the president Javier Milei He referred to the State’s cuts to the cultural industry and highlighted that the main thing in his management is fiscal balance, which is why “If culture is valued by people, it can easily be financed by people”.
Despite the president’s response, Argentines show that they have less financial capacity for their cultural consumptionsince there is greater pressure from other costs of living that became more expensive and they had to cut those that are not so essential.
Besides, about three out of every 10 Argentines suspended the use of streaming platforms.
Financial aid to family or friends was cut by a 29%while expenditures on medicines fell by 21% and a 16%, directly, chose to stop breakfast or snacks.
According to the report, The negative scenario increases by approximately 15% among those over 65 years of age. However, those who voted for Javier Milei declared that they reduced their consumption by 50% less than the rest of the population, except in the category of mental healthwhere the difference is just one 20%.
“In a country with award-winning gastronomy and historically high levels of meat consumption, the food is getting worse and worse. Less inputs, fewer rewards. “It is a society that reduces its spaces for enjoyment, but also for sociability.”Vanoli assured. “A risk group, from the medium-low socioeconomic level, stopped helping those close to them and neglected their health,” he added.
X-ray of Milei’s Argentina
The Public Sentiments survey includes questions about people’s emotional lives. From there it emerged that almost seven out of every ten Argentines receive a marked deterioration in the emotional well-being or mental health of those around them. Within the age segment between 35 and 55 this discomfort increases and they are still slightly higher in the middle socioeconomic levels.
When asked about the possibility of gambling to earn extra income or pay debts, 67% of young people between 16 and 29 years old responded that they disagreed, while 33% said they agreed. “These numbers rise to four out of 10, if we filter the result by men and increase as the socioeconomic level decreases,” they highlighted from the consultancy.
“The ‘no future’ of the late nineties became the ‘black present’ of today. A ‘no future’ 2.0, where emotional stability is a rare commodity”concluded from Public Sentiments.
Source: Ambito
