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WorldNothing is Foreign

How Argentina deals with crushing 104% inflation

Argentina has one of the highest rates of inflation in the world, forcing Argentines to find inventive ways to cope with this economic reality.

'People really are just living in the now,' says freelance journalist Natalie Alcoba

A woman looks out from her outdoor market stall where vegetables are piled high with hand-lettered signs advertising their prices. A string of Argentina flags are hung overhead.
A woman works at the Buenos Aires Central Market on March 16. Argentina's annual inflation rate hit 102.5 per cent last month. Inflation, along with corruption and poverty, is one of the main concerns of the Argentines who will be heading to polls in October to vote for a president. (Tomas Cuesta/Getty Images)

Argentina's annual inflation rate reached a staggering 104.3 per cent in March. It's one of the highest rates in the world, resulting in a cost-of-living crisis for many in the country.

It's not a new problem in Argentina, where the market has been volatile for decades, especially during the 1980s debt crisis.

From bartering to stocking up on goods before inflation spikes, Argentines have found inventive ways to cope with this economic reality. But there's also been growing discontent with the government, and the country's relationship with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) especially as a general election approaches this fall.

This week, we look at how people on the ground deal with this sky-high inflation rate, the historical conditions that led to this point and what happens to a society when it's trapped in a cycle of debt and austerity.

Featuring:

  • Natalie Alcoba, freelance journalist based in Buenos Aires.


Nothing is Foreign,a podcast from CBC News and CBC Podcasts, is aweekly trip to where the story is unfolding. It's hosted by Tamara Khandaker.