Cost of 'living with dignity' has risen 20% in three years

'The analysis finds that cost of the MESL food basket has increased by an average of 20.8%, in the year to March 2023.'

The cost for households to afford to “live with dignity” has risen almost 20% in the last three years, with the last 12 months seeing inflation heap “relentless” pressure on families.

The latest paper from St Vincent de Paul’s Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) research centre found the cost of living to basic standards had risen more for families in rural areas in the last year.