Union consumer basket: A family of four needs 1,900 euros

AUTHOR: M.J.
The Center for Education, Information and Trade Union Research of the Union of Free Trade Unions presented the trade union consumer basket, according to which a four-member family needs 1,900 euros to meet real needs during one quarter.
Compared to the previous quarter, i.e. the fourth quarter of 2023 (October-December 2023), the union consumer basket recorded an increase of 50 euros, i.e. approximately three percent.
Out of a total of ten categories of expenses that are defined by the Methodology for creating the SPK, in this quarter growth was recorded in four categories of expenses, namely: the cost of food products - 4.31 percent, the cost of ongoing household maintenance - five percent, housing and utilities costs - 6.82 percent and costs of purchasing products for personal hygiene and health care - 3.85 percent.
By collecting new prices from the three largest retail chains in Montenegro for 135 foods that are included in the category of food product costs, i.e. 130 foods in this quarter, considering the seasonal nature of some of them, it was determined that the expenditure on food products in the first quarter of 2024. year is 605 euros.
This is the amount needed by a family of four to meet the needs for food and drink on a monthly basis, i.e. to provide an adequate intake of calories for all four members of the household who have moderate physical activity on a daily basis (the average daily intake of the observed four-member household is 10,680 kcal, i.e. 2,670 kcal per member). Compared to the previous quarter, there was an increase in the amount of 25 euros. The products purchased by the household as part of its ongoing maintenance have gone up in price by 5.00 euros, so in the total amount for this quarter, they make an expenditure of 105 euros on a monthly basis - it was announced from the Union of Free Trade Unions.
The situation is the same when it comes to the category of costs of purchasing products for personal hygiene and health care, in which an increase of five euros was recorded on a monthly basis, so this category of costs amounts to 135 euros.
The increase in the mentioned costs is the result of the cancellation of the action of the Ministry of Economic Development and Tourism "STOP INFLATION 100+", which was aimed at mitigating inflation and protecting citizens from rising prices. As the aforementioned action ceased to be valid on January 1, 2024, there was an increase in the specified categories of SPK costs, considering that the same date also marks the beginning of the reference period for calculating the new SPK, i.e. SPK for the 1st quarter of this year - they explain in to the USS.
As the first quarter of 2024 was characterized by an increased consumption of electricity due to the need to heat households in the winter period, and as there was also an increase in the price of water supply services, the costs of housing and utilities in this period amount to 235 euros on a monthly basis, which represents an increase of 15 euros.
The other six categories of SPK expenses did not change compared to the previous quarter.