According to Fréttablaðið and Vísir.is the the Ministry of Finance’s calculations for the average family’s daily expenditure on food is seriously flawed and has attracted widespread criticism from both the general public and members of parliament.
The ministry maintains it used figures from Hagstofa Íslands, Statistics Iceland, as their main source when estimating a family’s average daily expenditure on food. However, these figures are based on estimates of the cost of goods purchased in supermarkets alone, and therefore do not include food bought in canteens (such as school meals) or restaurants.
According to the Ministry’s figures, a household of four (parents with two children, one of which is younger than seven) spends 89.000 krónur (579 euros/ 734 US dollars) per month. Statistics Iceland, on the other hand, estimates the average monthly expenses to be closer to 135.000 krónur (879 euros/ 1.113 US dollars).
Among those who have commented on the ministry’s report is Bryndís Loftsdóttir, a deputy member of parliament for the Independence Party – which makes up the current coalition government along with the Progressive Party. Loftsdóttir maintains the estimated amount is way too low.
“This doesn’t add up. I don’t consider myself a squanderer but I do try and buy healthy food and that costs money. I expect to spend around two million krónur on food this year, but the Ministry expects a family of four to spend half of that. It just doesn’t make sense,” Loftsdóttir said in an interview with the National Broadcasting Service.
According to Fréttablaðið and Vísir.is the the Ministry of Finance’s calculations for the average family’s daily expenditure on food is seriously flawed and has attracted widespread criticism from both the general public and members of parliament.
The ministry maintains it used figures from Hagstofa Íslands, Statistics Iceland, as their main source when estimating a family’s average daily expenditure on food. However, these figures are based on estimates of the cost of goods purchased in supermarkets alone, and therefore do not include food bought in canteens (such as school meals) or restaurants.
According to the Ministry’s figures, a household of four (parents with two children, one of which is younger than seven) spends 89.000 krónur (579 euros/ 734 US dollars) per month. Statistics Iceland, on the other hand, estimates the average monthly expenses to be closer to 135.000 krónur (879 euros/ 1.113 US dollars).
Among those who have commented on the ministry’s report is Bryndís Loftsdóttir, a deputy member of parliament for the Independence Party – which makes up the current coalition government along with the Progressive Party. Loftsdóttir maintains the estimated amount is way too low.
“This doesn’t add up. I don’t consider myself a squanderer but I do try and buy healthy food and that costs money. I expect to spend around two million krónur on food this year, but the Ministry expects a family of four to spend half of that. It just doesn’t make sense,” Loftsdóttir said in an interview with the National Broadcasting Service.
