ESTIMATES OF SOCIAL MINIMUM BASKETS FOR THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2021

The article presents values of social minimum baskets estimated for conditions prevailing in the second quarter of 2021. The presented estimates take into account the needs as foreseen in the model under normal conditions of social life – new circumstances (Covid-19) have not been considered. There is a lack of research on changes in household consumption in 2021. If there will be a need to change assumptions in the model, the values of social minimum can be recalculated in the future. External conditions for households in the second quarter of 2021 were reasonably favourable (including a falling unemployment rate to 5.9% in June). In the period under review, total consumer price growth was 1.9%. The values of the social minimum have increased from 2.3% (a single person of retirement age) to 3.2% (a family with a child aged 13 to 15). The major factor in the increasing values of the social minimum was rising food prices (from 5.8% for parents with a younger child to 6.1% for a family with an older child). This increase was almost three times higher than the price growth rate for food (2.2%). On the other hand, the dynamics of the costs of housing and energy carriers was comparable to the value of the CPI for this group.