Consumer Protection Sounds the Alarm... Soaring Prices Devour Lebanese Livelihoods as Costs Jump 19%

The Consumer Association revealed that Lebanon is witnessing a marked rise in the prices of basic goods and services during the first half of 2026, stressing that the wave of price hikes is now directly weighing on المواطنين’ purchasing power and affecting every aspect of daily life.

In its periodic report, the association announced that its price index recorded an increase of 19.05% during the first and second quarters of the current year, covering 140 essential goods and services, considering that this rise far exceeds the general inflation rates officially calculated.

It explained that the increases particularly affected the sectors most closely tied to household living conditions, from fuel and transportation to basic food items, especially vegetables, fruit, meat, dairy products, cheeses, and bread, leading to mounting pressure on poor and middle-income groups.

The association attributed the rise to several factors, most notably higher global and regional energy and oil prices, warning of the repercussions of any new regional escalation on local markets amid shrinking inventories and rising import costs.

The association criticized the absence of effective government measures to regulate markets and protect consumers, arguing that the stability of the Lebanese pound’s exchange rate has not translated into lower living costs, while tax burdens and fees have continued to rise.

It noted that the coming period requires urgent measures to rein in prices by tightening market oversight and establishing clear mechanisms to prevent monopolies and excessive price hikes, in a way that would ease the burden on citizens.

According to the association’s figures, the first quarter of 2026 recorded a 6.55% increase in the prices of basic goods and services, while the second quarter saw an additional jump of 12.5%, bringing the total increase during the first half of the year to 19.05%.

The sharpest increases in the second quarter were recorded in fuel prices, up 24%, transportation, up 49%, and fruit, up 22.8%, while meat prices rose 7% and dairy products and cheeses increased 11.5%, in an indication of the continuing pressure on the cost of daily life in Lebanon.