Viennese social markets in need: basic foodstuffs are becoming scarce!

Viennese social markets in need: basic foodstuffs are becoming scarce!

The air is getting thinner in the social markets of the Samaritan Association in Vienna. Demand has increased massively in recent years – by an impressive 30 percent! This is not only noticeable on the shelves of the markets, but also in people's wallets. A look at the four locations, spread across Favoriten, Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus, Meidling, Floridsdorf and Donaustadt, shows: The markets offer people with low incomes an important place to go to buy cheap products despite the rising cost of living. However, the head of the social markets, Georg Jelenko, warns of an impending shortage of basic foods as demand continues to rise.

As of the end of September 2023, around 26,000 Viennese had shopping authorization, and the trend is pointing steeply upwards. Behind these numbers is not only an increase in users, but also increasing pressure on resources. Jelenko highlights that 1,200 tons of goods are saved every year and offered at discounted prices. But with prices rising, the question is how long this offer will remain viable.

Price increases and inflation are putting a strain on households

Even if inflation temporarily falls, the cost of living remains high. The increases are particularly dramatic for essential goods such as energy and food. According to a recent analysis, prices for cheap food have increased by an average of 53 percent since September 2021. A simple shopping experience has increased from four years ago, when the shopping cart cost 51 euros, to almost 78 euros today.

Basic foods are struggling particularly hard: flour has increased by 88 percent, while pasta has become 97 percent more expensive. All of this is happening in the context of a stagnating risk of poverty in Austria, which is being discussed in detail by the poverty conference. It finds that living conditions have not improved for many people - 2 percent of the population lives in poverty, while 14.3 percent are at risk of poverty. Children are particularly affected at a rate of 21 percent and the unemployed at an alarming 57 percent.

Challenges and solutions

Susanne Drapalik, President of the Samaritan Association of Vienna, emphasizes the need for cohesion and political support to meet these challenges. Food and energy prices could soon reach record levels. The Samaritan Association is not only looking for volunteers to keep the social markets running, but is also happy about monetary donations to ensure essential supplies.

The eligibility criteria for access to the social markets are clearly defined: Individuals are allowed to earn a maximum of 1,572 euros annually. For couples, the income limit is 2,358 euros, plus allowances for children. This is intended to support the people who need it most.

In summary, it is a hot potato that the social markets in Vienna have to deal with. While demand is increasing and prices continue to soar, the task of ensuring essential basic supplies for the most vulnerable citizens remains an urgent challenge.

For further details and current information on poverty statistics in Austria, it is worth taking a look at the pages of the [Poverty Conference](https://www.armutsconference.at/armut-in-oesterreich/aktuelle-armuts-und- Distributionszahlen.html) and the [Samariterbund Vienna].