MED-Amin network

CAIRO — Life is no longer the same for cattle trader Bahaa Mahmud. When the Islamic holy month of Ramadan approached in the previous years, Mahmud put together large amounts of food in preparation for his charity iftars —the evening meal following a day of fasting from sunrise to sunset—.

Household expenses witnessed a new shift as the coronavirus pandemic, which has had a varied impact on the economy, changed consumer habits in Turkey, according to statistics. Last year, money spent on services like education and tourism decreased, while people spent more on appliances and food, according to Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) data. Still, expenses continued increasing and exceeded TL 2.9 trillion ($396 billion), a 10% rise.