A new study says that 1 in 2 Europeans feel their purchasing power has decreased, with Portugal topping the table with 66%
If at the beginning of 2022, the feeling of the population was almost one of euphoria, in a post-pandemic period, one year later, according to the European Consumer Barometer, conducted by Cetelem, 9 out of 10 Europeans feel the price increase in their daily lives and 7 out of 10 say that prices have risen significantly.
Portugal (35%), as well as Sweden (42%) and Italy (37%) are in the group of countries that most experience price rises. On the other hand, Romania and Poland, with 7% and 9% respectively, have the lowest price increases.
"Last year, 43 per cent of Portuguese consumers reported a loss of purchasing power, confirming the trend for gradual worsening", and which the Government has been trying "to mitigate through measures like zero VAT on a range of essential goods", the press release indicates.
According to the document, "it's apparently among women that the fall in purchasing power is felt most, with the difference between men and women worsening from year to year".
As to age, "those over 50 are more concerned with the generalised increase in prices than younger people, aged between 18 and 24". Those living in less densely populated urban areas express the price increase even more strongly".