How do Lebanese survive amid financial freefall?

But everything was completely natural across Lebanon. Road traffic jams remained, restaurants were overcrowded, and supermarkets and shopping centers were teeming with people.

Many of you wonder how the Lebanese live amid the declining currency 

Indeed, the size of the economy or gross domestic product (GDP) in Lebanon decreased from $55 billion in 2018 (before the crisis) to about $22 billion in 2022.

On the other side, one of the most significant sources of hard currency entering Lebanon was the volume of transfers sent home by expatriates.

So, if you are wondering how some Lebanese live, the answer is simple

In its latest report, the World Bank estimated that the remittance inflows in Lebanon would reach $6.8 billion in 2022, making Lebanon the second in the world in terms of the contribution of expatriate remittances to the GDP, which amounted to 37.8 percent in 2022, after Tonga, which ranked first with 50 percent of the contribution of expatriate remittances to the GDP.

Thus, a large part of the Lebanese population relies on the remittance inflows, and another part receives the salary or a portion of it in fresh USD.

However, a considerable percentage segment of them, especially public sector employees, are still paid in Lebanese pounds, and the value of their salaries is still below the highs that commodity prices have reached. So, how do they live?