Staples Up Sharply in a Week
Prices of basic foodstuffs across Syrian markets rose by more than 20 percent in the week ending 19 May 2026, deepening pressure on household budgets already squeezed by a weak Syrian pound (SYP) and stagnant incomes.
The wave hit sugar, rice, lentils, bulgur, pasta, beans, chickpeas, cooking oil and ghee at the same time, leaving few staples untouched.
Prices at the Counter
Sugar passed 100 SYP per kilogram, while packaged lentils traded at 150 SYP, crushed lentils at 130 SYP and black lentils at 120 SYP. Packaged bulgur stood at 130 SYP per kilogram and pasta at 150 SYP.
Rice prices ranged from 150 SYP per kilogram for basmati to 170 SYP for Spanish rice and 220 SYP for creamy rice. Cooking oil reached 270 SYP per liter, packaged dry beans 200 SYP, packaged chickpeas 225 SYP, ghee 150 SYP and wheat flour 110 SYP.
Exchange Rate Pressure
The Syrian pound traded above 140 against the US dollar (USD) during the week, with merchants citing the slide as the main driver of the price wave alongside higher transport, distribution and global commodity costs.
Foreign exchange market data for the week showed the pound about 3 percent weaker against the dollar than seven days earlier, extending a multi-week trend that has eroded purchasing power.
Daily Resets and No Official Tariff
Vendors are adjusting price tags almost daily, with notable gaps between identical items on the same shelf and no official tariff list in place for many basics. The approach of Eid al-Adha has lifted prices on sweets and holiday goods on top of the weekly increases.
One merchant in the Midan market in Damascus said "a large part of the rise is due to global factors plus transport, distribution and inflation," adding that daily sales have fallen sharply compared with previous years.
Pressure on Households
The combination of rising prices, weak incomes and limited job opportunities is deepening the cost-of-living crisis and adding pressure on Syrian families, with daily price resets continuing on the shelves in the run-up to Eid al-Adha.