Cost of living soars in Malawi
The September cost of living for Malawi’s cities of Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Zomba has gone up since August, according to the recent Centre for Social Concern (CfSC) Basic Needs Basket (BNB) survey.
The welfare monitoring body’s report shows that the total BNB for Lilongwe averaged K85 997, Zomba K68 417, Blantyre K76 643 and Mzuzu K73 670.
In comparison to last month’s report, all cities except Blantyre have registered an increase.
Since the August report, Lilongwe average BNB has increased by 8.5 percent from K79 286 to K85 997, Zomba 2.4 percent from K66 787 to K68 417, Mzuzu 2.6 percent from K71 798 to K73 670 while Blantyre decreased by 5.8 percent from K81 363 to K76 643 in September.
An analysis of the September and August data shows that the decline in the cost of living for Blantyre is due to a decline in the food basket which has gone down by about nine percent from K45 019 to K40 953 while the non-food basket has declined by about 1.9 percent from K36 344 to K35 690.
The BNB monthly report, among others, includes the cost of food and non-food items such as maize, usipa, beans, charcoal, utility bills and housing rentals.
The general rise in the cost of living in the three cities means a reduced demand for goods and services, a consequent slowdown in business performance and also malnutrition for consumers.
