The mini version of the Minimum Essential Budget for a Decent Living (MiniMEBDL) of 2023 has shown that a food basket for a family of two adults and two children amounts to €719.50 monthly.

The results from a research study conducted by Caritas Malta, which identifies and prices a basket of goods and services for low-income families to be able to live a basic, but decent quality of life, have revealed increasing prices of a basic food basket for three types of low-income families.

The study shows the costs of a seven-day menu as well as those of medicines and healthcare for the three different households, those of two adults and two children, a single parent with two children, and an elderly couple aged 65 and over.

It also included the price increases as compared to the MiniMEBDL conducted in 2022.

The monthly cost of a food basket for two adults and two children amounted to €719.50, whilst the food basket for an adult with two children amounts to €542.49 monthly.

An elderly couple aged 65 and over spend €362.28 monthly for food, the study showed.

The yearly cost of a seven-day menu for a family of two adults, two children amounted to €8,634, a 2.96% increase from the study done in 2022.

Meanwhile, the yearly cost for food for a single adult and two children family has increased by 3.08% from that of the previous year, amounting to a total of €6,509.88.

The yearly cost for a week’s worth of food for elderly couples aged 65 and over has also increased by 3.12%, with a total of a €4,347.36 expenditure.

The basket for the yearly cost of medicines and healthcare, which included general and specific medicines, as well as other healthcare items, has also increased for all three types of households.

A family of two adults and two children spend a total of €388.43 yearly on medicine and healthcare, an increase of 9.32% on the number of the previous year.

A single adult with two children spends €245.78 on medicine and healthcare yearly, a 14.07% increase from the previous year.

The yearly cost of medicines and healthcare for an elderly couple amounts to €598.12, a 6.29% increase from that of 2022.

The study observed that an aging population can be expected to have a variety of simple and/or chronic ailments, the medicine of which may not be covered by the National Health Service.

Caritas expressed its ‘grave concern’ as the yearly expenditure for elderly couples on medicines and healthcare could result in a significant dent on the elderly couple’s income.

A specific item which raises the cost of the medicines and healthcare category was bone strengthening tablets, which are commonly prescribed to elderly individuals. Caritas said that one augurs that these will soon be provided for free through the NHS, as per recent National Budget declarations.

An observation made by pharmacists consulted for the pricing exercise was that many clients were buying anti-depressant medication. This cost was not included in the study, adding that should it be included, it would account for an additional rise in the cost of healthcare for individuals suffering from mental challenges.

Caritas’ study was conducted in February 2023, focusing on food prices in various retail outlets, namely two popular and easily accessible supermarkets in Malta (one in the South and one in the Centre); one popular supermarket in central Gozo; two mini-markets in Malta (North and Northern Harbour); three vegetable and fruit vans (South, Centre and Gozo) and one vegetable and fruit corner store (Northern Harbour).

Separate pricing was conducted for vegetables and fruits in the MEBDL week menu for two adults and two children, which was calculated in supermarkets, vegetable and fruit vans, the corner store and the Farmer’s Market in Ta’ Qali.

The cost of vegetables and fruits in the MEBDL seven-day menu for two adults and two children in a supermarket in the South of Malta is that of €48.56. This cost increases in Central/Northern Harbour supermarkets to €56.89 and to €60.26 in Gozo.

Vegetables and fruits in a week’s menu from a van vendor in the South cost €52.54, whilst the price decreases slightly in the Central/Northern Harbour to €46.90, and €45.79 in Gozo.

The price of fruits and vegetables in a week’s food basket in the Central/Northern Harbour amounts to €77.07. Fruits and vegetables for a seven-day menu cost €38.50 at the Ta’ Qali Farmers Market.

An observation was made in the different stalls in the Farmer’s market, which had different prices. Generally, the stalls at the entrance or the perimeter of the market had slightly more expensive prices, the study showed.

The general observation of the study was that in supermarkets, the price of pre-packaged vegetables or fruit was generally higher than the price of unpacked produce, and this packaging was often not composed of sustainable material.

The study also noted that a number of sustainable practices were evident in a particular supermarket, which offered a 50% discount on bread unsold from the previous day, as well as bulk packaged mushrooms and eggplants which could still be used. A section of “soon to expire” items was also available at reduced prices.

Pricing for the medicine basket was carried out at one local pharmacy in the South, with Caritas saying that it acknowledges that the price of many medicines is standard across the nation, while also understanding that there would be price difference in other healthcare items.

The outlets were chosen to represent the variety of prices which a good segment of the population would experience when shopping for food.

For the first time since the start of the MEBDL studies, pricing was also done in Gozo, as well as in mini-markets and corner stores, Caritas said.

Caritas made a number of recommendations based on the MiniMEBDL for 2023, which included maximising the use of, and redistribute available food, referring to more incentives and training organised for supermarkets, restaurants and food retail outlets to establish processes for storing and distributing food that would otherwise go to waste.

It recommended that this could be done by the state in collaboration with NGOs, or as part of corporate social responsibility initiatives by businesses and other entities, with the goal of assisting low-income families.

The study also suggested organising a network of Farmer’s markets in addition to the ones in Ta’ Qali and Birgu, scheduling ‘special’ direct buses from each main town or village to the Farmer’s markets on Saturday morning, benefiting those with mobility challenges.

Caritas recommended the reduction of tax paid on vegetables and fruit, which may help to facilitate and encourage increased consumption of these foods in line with national dietary guidelines, health professionals’ preventive and therapeutic recommendations, as well as climate-friendly and sustainability promoting plant-based diets.

“It would be advisable to accompany such a measure with targeted educational campaigns or other nudging interventions, such as at Farmers markets, school tuckshops, and higher education, factory and other institutional canteens,” the study suggested.

The study also suggests promoting schemes involving Community Kitchen gardens, giving individuals the opportunity to access small allotments in their neighbourhood in order to grow vegetables and fruit for the family’s use.

The MiniMEBDL suggested that ‘Healthy Food Prescription’ or ‘Food as Medicine’ could be alternative approaches to healthcare and disease management, where healthcare professionals provide these ‘prescriptions’ to patients, such as in the form of vouchers, motivating and enabling them to buy vegetables, fruits, pulses, high-fibre cereal products, nuts and seeds, as a means to help manage or treat their health condition.

A social welfare policy could also be established through which rebates are awarded to low-income individuals or families whose annual expenditure on doctor-prescribed medicines and related healthcare items, which are not available for free under the NHS, surpasses a certain threshold, Caritas suggested.

Social Assistance recipients could be further assisted through the implementation of a ‘digital cash’ for low-income earners, involving digital vouchers and bank transfers, the study suggested.