The aisle of a supermarket. (Credit: Illustrative photo by Philippe Hage Boutros/L’Orient-Le Jour)
At a supermarket checkout in Hadath, south of Beirut, Nour* watches the screen carefully as her groceries are scanned. One by one, she asks the cashier to remove items, then studies the receipt. "I came in with $100, and I only have $20 left and I bought only the essentials," sighs the mother of four. "Everything has become more expensive."She specifically mentions vegetables: "Tomatoes and cucumbers are close to 150,000 Lebanese Liras [just under $2] per kilo, onions are over 80,000." This observation is shared by many shoppers interviewed by L’Orient-Le Jour at the start of Ramadan. More on public finance Public-sector wage increase: Who will foot the bill? Although inflation decreased in 2025 for the second consecutive year, reaching its lowest annual rate since the start of the financial crisis in...
At a supermarket checkout in Hadath, south of Beirut, Nour* watches the screen carefully as her groceries are scanned. One by one, she asks the cashier to remove items, then studies the receipt. "I came in with $100, and I only have $20 left and I bought only the essentials," sighs the mother of four. "Everything has become more expensive."She specifically mentions vegetables: "Tomatoes and cucumbers are close to 150,000 Lebanese Liras [just under $2] per kilo, onions are over 80,000." This observation is shared by many shoppers interviewed by L’Orient-Le Jour at the start of Ramadan. More on public finance Public-sector wage increase: Who will foot the bill? Although inflation decreased in 2025 for the second consecutive year, reaching its lowest annual rate since the start of the financial crisis...
