COVID-19 has been a disruptive element in all sectors, upending societal norms and fundamentally reorganizing economies. While some of these changes are temporary, others may endure past the end of the pandemic.
Data Points brings you the latest updates from our Housing, Goods & Services, and Tax departments. These highlights are based on our expert international surveys, which are conducted on location by our global data collection team.
After crude futures turned negative in Q2, there seemed only one direction for prices to go – up! AIRINC’s quarterly comparison of petrol pump prices from Q2 to Q4 shows that prices in most researched countries increased, particularly our top five as ranked by percent increase: Zimbabwe, Suriname, Canada, Ethiopia, and Malaysia. For some, this is a cost-driven change; for others, this is a reflection of currency adjustments.
The AIRINC Research Department conducts surveys of the costs of consumer goods around the world, which is divided into four main regions – Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East & Africa. Our surveys capture the cost of living for expatriate workers, so our market basket targets include trusted international brands and imports, and we collect prices in outlets frequented by international assignees.
Lebanon’s economy was struggling before the catastrophic explosion on August 4. Severe cash shortages, a widening gap between official and parallel market exchange rates, increasing poverty rates, high unemployment, and periods of high protest activity have impacted Lebanon over the past year. Inflation is high and many assignees have to use unfavorable rates when purchasing at least a portion of their goods.
Data Points brings you the latest updates from our Housing, Goods & Services, and Tax departments. These highlights are based on our expert international surveys, which are conducted on location by our global data collection team.
Below is a selection of government tax responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. These highlights are part of AIRINC's recent Data Points publication and are only a few of the many global changes that we are tracking on a daily basis.
In 2018, the United States declared its intention to withdraw from the Universal Postal Union (UPU), a 192-member body which regulates global mail service. The precipitating event was the growth of e-commerce and a shift for the U.S. from net sender to net receiver of international mail.
With the COVID-19 pandemic and the interconnected fall in global oil demand in the first half of 2020, many locations throughout the world are experiencing price changes and shortages of goods and services items.
Data Points brings you the latest updates from our Housing, Goods & Services, and Tax departments. These highlights are based on our expert international surveys, which are conducted on location by our global data collection team.
