Living with Inflation in Argentina

Abstract

Argentina has been burdened for many decades with high inflation, reaching three or even four digits in hyperinflationary periods. The recurring price spirals in Argentine history, particularly since the beginning of the current century, have affected the middle class’s perception of the present and the future, constructing what can be called an inflationary experience. Governments from across the political spectrum have failed to solve the problem, leading to the election of a radical outsider candidate as president in 2023. This article examines the ways in which the middle class in Buenos Aires copes with inflation, and how the experience of chronic inflation and crisis produces ways of coping that at the same time may generate more inflation.