People’s purchasing power falls in 2021 (Financial Express)

Financial Express (Bangladesh) published an article stating that the purchasing power of a vast majority of the population fell substantially in 2021 as their cost of living far outstripped the income that also grew, but marginally. People, particularly from low- and lower-middle-income groups, have said that their spending on key essentials and utility and other services increased at a much faster pace than that of their income. The latest IFPRI report from Bangladesh showed that the moderate or severe food-insecurity situation in Bangladesh returned to the pre-pandemic level in 2021. The study found two out of three rural households in September-October 2021 worried about not having enough food and more than half of rural households reported buying food on credit or borrowing money.