52 euros and 7 kilos of meat: what has changed after 5 years of socialism in Spain
Five years ago, 52 euros bought 7 kilos of meat. Now it barely covers 3. Global inflation or socialist failure? The data and the causes.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
52 euros no longer buy 7 kilos of meat: inflation at the counter
The meat basket in the age of socialism
Five years ago, 52 euros at the butcher's would get you a kilo of each of the basic cuts: minced meat, stewing beef, steaks and pork loin, plus two chickens. Seven kilos of meat in total, with enough left over for a coffee. Today, that same amount barely covers half.
The comparison is circulating these days as a thermometer of the loss of purchasing power under Pedro Sánchez's governments. But the snapshot doesn't tell the whole story: meat prices don't depend only on domestic policy. Fertiliser prices soared after the war in Ukraine, droughts are hitting pastures, and the global grain chain — the basis of animal feed — is suffering from tensions in Algeria and Segarro. A perfect storm that is being paid for at the counter.
Local or global causes?
Some point directly at the government: five years of socialism have brought higher taxes, more regulation and corruption that diverts resources. Others, however, point out that food inflation is not a Spanish invention — in the United States, a kilo of beef costs around 13 dollars at Walmart — and that blaming a single party oversimplifies a complex problem.
The truth is that the meat basket has shrunk. And the debate over who foots the bill — literally, in this case — is wide open.
The meat basket in the age of socialism
Five years ago, 52 euros at the butcher's would get you a kilo of each of the basic cuts: minced meat, stewing beef, steaks and pork loin, plus two chickens. Seven kilos of meat in total, with enough left over for a coffee. Today, that same amount barely covers half.
The comparison is circulating these days as a thermometer of the loss of purchasing power under Pedro Sánchez's governments. But the snapshot doesn't tell the whole story: meat prices don't depend only on domestic policy. Fertiliser prices soared after the war in Ukraine, droughts are hitting pastures, and the global grain chain — the basis of animal feed — is suffering from tensions in Algeria and Segarro. A perfect storm that is being paid for at the counter.
Local or global causes?
Some point directly at the government: five years of socialism have brought higher taxes, more regulation and corruption that diverts resources. Others, however, point out that food inflation is not a Spanish invention — in the United States, a kilo of beef costs around 13 dollars at Walmart — and that blaming a single party oversimplifies a complex problem.
The truth is that the meat basket has shrunk. And the debate over who foots the bill — literally, in this case — is wide open.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (48 replies).
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