🗓️Published on: 20/09/2026
Trade Union Confederation of Productive Forces • COSYFOP
Press Release
Trade Union Confederation of Productive Forces publishes new study on declining purchasing power and the real cost of living in Algeria
The Trade Union Confederation of Productive Forces (COSYFOP) announces the publication of its economic and social study on purchasing power, wages and the real cost of living in Algeria in 2026.
The study draws on a field survey of prices and data collected on 14 September 2026 by COSYFOP teams and members in several wilayas across Algeria. Prices observed in local markets were then compared with available administrative benchmarks, including price data published by the Directorates of Commerce.
The findings show that, among 18 products for which a direct comparison could be made on the basis of the same product and unit, 17 were priced above the average administrative benchmark. This points to a significant gap between prices observed in the markets and the administrative reference prices available to the public.
COSYFOP also examined how the National Guaranteed Minimum Wage (SNMG) has evolved in relation to inflation since 2020. The study finds that simply restoring the purchasing power lost since 2021 would require a minimum wage of around DZD 27,000 gross, or approximately DZD 28,000 as a rounded technical benchmark. This figure represents only the recovery of purchasing power already lost.
Even that adjustment, however, would still fall short of the actual cost of living. In the most basic scenario examined, a worker living alone and without a housing payment requires a monthly budget of around DZD 35,000, while the corresponding reference income is estimated at approximately DZD 37,000 net. For the reference household, the study shows that basic needs are well above current wage levels, with the gap varying considerably according to housing circumstances.
For this reason, the Trade Union Confederation of Productive Forces maintains its call for the National Guaranteed Minimum Wage to be raised to at least DZD 35,000 gross as an initial step from 2027, together with the opening of meaningful wage negotiations aimed at bringing workers’ incomes more closely into line with the actual cost of living and the needs of workers and their families.
DZD 35,000 is not an end point. It is the minimum starting point for addressing the decline in purchasing power and beginning a genuine process of wage improvement.
Full Study
Purchasing Power, Wages and the Real Cost of Living in Algeria, 2026
These figures should not be reduced to quick headlines. The study sets out its methodology, field data and comparative tables against administrative benchmarks in full detail. We therefore encourage workers, trade unionists, journalists and researchers to read the study carefully before commenting on or debating its findings.
Download the Statement (PDF)
Photographic Reference Record
Prices as photographed at market stalls
If the video does not play here watch it on YouTube
This short video brings together photographs taken by COSYFOP teams and members during the field survey conducted on 14 September 2026. Each image shows the price displayed by the seller at the time the photograph was taken.
Traders often write prices on boards in centimes. A board marked “12000”, for example, means DZD 120 per kilogram. Paper price tags, by contrast, generally show prices directly in dinars. To make the figures easier to read and compare, all prices shown in the video have therefore been converted into dinars per kilogram.
- Potatoes, tomatoes and aubergines DZD 120/kg
- Courgettes DZD 170–200/kg
- Carrots and sweet peppers DZD 150/kg
- Pears DZD 450–500/kg
- Chicken DZD 590/kg
- Eggs DZD 580 for 25 eggs
These photographs were not taken merely for illustration. They form part of the primary evidence used in the study to compare the prices people actually pay in the market with the available administrative reference prices. We therefore encourage readers to watch the video first and then consult the full study.
Study at a Glance
Key Figures at a Glance
This short animated video highlights the study’s main findings, from the comparison between prices observed in local markets and administrative benchmarks to estimates of the real cost of living and the wage levels needed to meet it.
- Products priced above the average administrative benchmark 17 out of 18
- Minimum wage needed simply to offset the loss of purchasing power caused by inflation around DZD 28,000
- Monthly budget for a worker living alone with no housing payment around DZD 35,000
- COSYFOP’s proposed national minimum wage at least DZD 35,000
This overview is only a starting point. The full study sets out the methodology, comparative tables, price sources and housing scenarios in detail. We therefore encourage readers to watch the video and then read the full study..
If the video does not play here watch it on YouTube
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