Russia's military invasion makes life difficult April 14, 16:17

"Russia's military invasion has hit the country's households historicly,"

not Ukraine.

It is the words of the governor of the Central Bank of England.

Britain is now increasingly relying on charities for its daily diet, raising concerns about widespread poverty.

The background is rapid inflation.

It is not irrelevant to Japan, where we live.

(London branch, Hiroko Matsuzaki)

Personal debt is increasing

£ 1.5 billion (about 260 billion yen).

In the UK, credit card borrowing has grown so much in February alone.

This is the highest growth rate since we started collecting statistics in 1993.

It is believed that the current income could not cover the necessary expenditures and more people were borrowing to maintain their livelihoods.

Why is the household budget so tight?

What has plagued the British are the record rise in prices.

Milk, staple food bread, and beer.

The prices of all familiar items are increasing.

Milk, for example, is said to be 20% higher than in the same period last year in February and could reach 50% in the near future.

The background is the rise in grain and energy prices triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Various costs associated with milk production are increasing, from feed for raising cows to transportation costs.

British Farmers' Federation Michael Oaks Dairy Chairman

"Many farmers are on the brink. Costs continue to rise and are unprofitable."

April electricity and gas charges increased 1.5 times

The burden on the British people is only increasing.

The symbol is electricity and gas charges.

In April, the maximum price of electricity and gas for households was raised by 54%.

The price was soaring for crude oil and natural gas as fuel, and the withdrawal of energy supply companies led to the need to maintain service, which was raised by the British government.

These price increases have been further advanced since the Russian military invasion.

"Russia's military invasion has hit households historicly," said Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, and warned that it would be difficult to maintain the current standard of living.

In other words, there is concern that citizens will become “poor”.

"Poverty" that has already been seen

There are already places in the UK where this change is visible.

It is a "food bank" that provides food and other items free of charge to people who have difficulty living.

Food banks run by charities in western London are set up in two locations in the city and distribute meat, vegetables and drinks collected through donations from the general public and supermarkets.

Here, everyone can get the food they need once a week.

Due to the increasing use these days, people who are looking for food from the morning are constantly visiting and there is no interruption.

The visitors said that their lives were getting harder.

A 51-year-old woman who lives with her two daughters and her husband

. I'm here because I want to get it somehow. I can't cook every day to save gas, so I've decided which days to cook and which to not. "

A 36-year-old woman with three young children

"I'm here to get fresh food. I have a baby, so I get the clothes I need, second-hand and charity. Every day how to survive. thinking about"

The food bank run by this charity means that depending on the time, there can be long lines of food recipients.

Representative Billy McGranagan expects the number of users to increase further in the future.

Billy McGranagan, owner of the food bank "Dad House" "In

the situation where the price is getting higher every time I go to the supermarket, many people have to choose between heating and eating. Some people donated food to help others, but now they receive it. More and more people will visit. "

Will 1.3 million new people fall into poverty?

What will happen to the lives of British people in the future?

Experts point out that the situation in Ukraine has pushed up prices of goods, and prices are rising at the fastest rate in the last 40 years.

And many are likely to fall into new poverty.

Resolution Foundation Hannah Slaughter, Senior Economist

"Prices are rising so fast that wages can't keep up and households will be under further pressure. Many households are already spending on necessities such as energy and food. In the future, 1.3 million people will fall into poverty, of which 500,000 will be children. "

Inflation continues for the first time in 40 years in the United States

Britain is not the only country that is putting pressure on households.

In the United States, the consumer price index, which shows price growth, rose 8.5% year-on-year in March, marking the highest level in about 40 years since December 1981.

By item, gasoline prices rose significantly by 48%, electricity prices rose 11.1%, food prices rose 8.8%, and public transportation prices rose 7.7%.

All of them are just the expenses necessary for daily life.

Even in the United States, it is expected that the number of people who will have difficulty living, especially those with low incomes, will increase.

Living in Japan is even more difficult

Prices are rising one after another in Japan, but the burden on households is likely to increase further in the future.

One of them is the rise in electricity prices.

The electricity prices for May of the 10 major electric power companies in Japan are the highest in the last five years that can be compared.

In the case of TEPCO jurisdiction, the electricity bill for May last year for households with average usage was 6822 yen.

However, the price increased by 1683 yen in one year.

The electricity bill for May will be 8505 yen.

There are some numbers that are worrisome in the future.

On April 12, the Bank of Japan released the latest figures for the "Corporate Price Index," which shows the prices of goods traded between companies.

According to it, the preliminary figures for March are 112.0, which is the level of 100 on average in 2015, which is the highest in 39 years and 3 months since December 1982.

The main reason for this was the rise in prices of petroleum products and electricity as Russia continued to invade Ukraine.

If the increase in raw material costs and purchasing costs is passed on to the price, there is a possibility that the prices of daily necessities will rise further.

Looking around the world, citizens in the Philippines and Sri Lanka are protesting and complaining that rising prices are a blow to their lives.

The WTO = World Trade Organization has acknowledged that rising prices are imminent in the food crisis in poor countries.

The situation in Ukraine remains uncertain about how to overcome the situation, and there are growing concerns about the future of life in various parts of the world.

Hiroko Matsuzaki ,

London Bureau

Joined in 2012. After working at the Nagoya Bureau and the International Department, she is currently affiliated.

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