Argentines paying more and more to afford food

Buenos Aires, Nov 13 (Prensa Latina) — In Argentina, the Total Basic Basket (CBT)—which tracks the cost of essential goods and services—rose by 3.5 percent in October, the largest increase since January. A family now requires 1,690,000 pesos ($1,080 USD) to avoid falling into poverty—a threshold that remains out of reach for many.

November 13, 2026
12:00

Meanwhile, the Basic Food Basket (CBA)—used to define the indigence line—climbed 3.1 percent. Both metrics rose faster than the overall inflation rate for October, which the government—via the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INDEC)—reported at 2.2 percent (a figure higher than estimates provided by private analysts).

Based on the increase in the CBA, a family earning 761,261 pesos ($576 USD) is now classified as indigent, according to INDEC data.

Year-to-date, both baskets have risen by 29.1 percent, outpacing the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which increased by 26.3 percent between January and October. On an annual basis, the CBA rose by 39.9 percent, the CBT by 39.1 percent, and the CPI by 33.1 percent.

The 2.2 percent inflation rate for October acknowledged by INDEC does not account for the full weight of all relevant price components, suggesting the actual figure could be even higher. So far this year, the cumulative annual increase stands at 33.1 percent.

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