Things have been tough around the world for a while. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, combined with the climate crisis and the pandemic, has had a huge global impact on everything from the quality of our lives to the cost of living. Prices have been increasing at an alarming rate – in the UK, inflation is at a 40-year high, standing at 10.4%. But some countries have been hit even harder.
Official figures from Malawi’s National Statistical office show that the year-on-year inflation rate for December 2022 stood at 25.4%. Malawi’s currency, the kwacha, was devalued by 25% in May 2022, which made imported goods extremely costly. Food inflation rates in general rose by 31% last year. This increase was even more marked for some food staples, such as corn and rice.
