According to the survey on luxury goods purchases as of January 2021, around 65 percent of respondents from China said they will be buying luxury goods with higher quality after COVID-19. In the meantime, approximately 59 percent of respondents chose to buy even more luxury items because they want to treat themselves better.

Portugal, Canada, and the United States were the countries with the highest house price to income ratio in 2024. In all three countries, the index exceeded 130 index points, while the average for all OECD countries stood at 116.2 index points. The index measures the development of housing affordability and is calculated by dividing nominal house price by nominal disposable income per head, with 2015 set as a base year when the index amounted to 100. An index value of 120, for example, would mean that house price growth has outpaced income growth by 20 percent since 2015. How have house prices worldwide changed since the COVID-19 pandemic? House prices started to rise gradually after the global financial crisis (2007–2008), but this trend accelerated with the pandemic. The countries with advanced economies, which usually have mature housing markets, experienced stronger growth than countries with emerging economies. Real house price growth (accounting for inflation) peaked in 2022 and has since lost some of the gain. Although, many countries experienced a decline in house prices, the global house price index shows that property prices in 2023 were still substantially higher than before COVID-19. Renting vs. buying In the past, house prices have grown faster than rents. However, the home affordability has been declining notably, with a direct impact on rental prices. As people struggle to buy a property of their own, they often turn to rental accommodation. This has resulted in a growing demand for rental apartments and soaring rental prices.

This study focuses on the energy efficiency in the past COVID-19 era and targeted the young population of Pakistan who are facing the critical situation of COVID-19 era and much aware that this situation will badly affect the energy situation when COVID-19 will end and they also aware that energy efficient appliances will be the most valuable products after the COVID-19 era. Data was collected from five major cities of Pakistan and analyzed by applying structure equation modelling through smart-PLS 3.3. Results show that knowledge of eco-labels has significant impact on perceived functional values, green trust and purchase intention of energy efficient home appliances. Results further indicate that consumers social responsibility has significant impact on personal norms and purchase intention of energy efficient home appliances. Moreover, functional value and green trust mediates the relationship of knowledge of eco-labels and purchase intention of energy efficient home appliances. Furthermore, attitude towards energy efficient appliances mediates the relationship between consumers social responsibility and purchase intention but surprisingly no mediating affect of attitude between consumer social responsibility and purchase intention of energy efficient home appliances. This study presents an antecedent model for predicting energy-efficient home appliances based on consumer awareness. This study will help companies for technology innovation and improvements in the efficiency of household appliances are among the key functional values that companies should emphasize, in order to attract consumers to value the surprising energy-saving effects of appliances.

In economics, the inflation rate is a measure of the change in price of a basket of goods. The most common measure being the consumer price index. It is the percentage rate of change in price level over time, and also indicates the rate of decrease in the purchasing power of money. The annual rate of inflation for 2023, was 4.1 percent higher in the United States when compared to the previous year. More information on inflation and the consumer price index can be found on our dedicated topic page. Additionally, the monthly rate of inflation in the United States can be accessed here. Inflation and purchasing power Inflation is a key economic indicator, and gives economists and consumers alike a look at changes in prices in the wider economy. For example, if an average pair of socks costs 100 dollars one year and 105 dollars the following year, the inflation rate is five percent. This means the amount of goods an individual can purchase with a unit of currency has decreased. This concept is often referred to as purchasing power. The data presents the average rate of inflation in a year, whereas the monthly measure of inflation measures the change in prices compared with prices one year ago. For example, monthly inflation in the U.S. reached a peak in June 2022 at 9.1 percent. This means that prices were 9.1 percent higher than they were in June of 2021. The purchasing power is the extent to which a person has available funds to make purchases. The Big Mac Index has been published by The Economist since 1986 and exemplifies purchasing power on a global scale, allowing us to see note the differences between different countries currencies. Switzerland for example, has the most expensive Big Mac in the world, costing consumers 6.71 U.S. dollars as of July 2022, whereas a Big Mac cost 5.15 dollars in the United States, and 4.77 dollars in the Euro area. One of the most important tools in influencing the rate of inflation is interest rates. The Federal Reserve of the United States has the capacity to make changes to the federal interest rate . Changes to the rate of inflation are thought to be an imbalance between supply and demand. After COVID-19 related lockdowns came to an end there was a sudden increase in demand for goods and services with consumers having more funds than usual thanks to reduced spending during lockdown and government funded economic support. Additionally, supply-chain related bottlenecks also due to lockdowns around the world and the Russian invasion of Ukraine meant that there was a decrease in the supply of goods and services. By increasing the interest rate, the Federal Reserve aims to reduce spending, and thus bring demand back into balance with supply.

According to a survey on international travel post COVID-19 conducted by Rakuten Insight, 55 percent of respondents in Malaysia who intended not to travel abroad felt that it was currently too expensive to travel. The second-most cited reason for not wanting to travel was because they did not think it was safe to travel yet.

Germany's electricity prices reached a two-year high of ****** euros per megawatt-hour in February 2025 before falling in March and April the same year. Electricity prices in the country have not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Electricity price recovery German electricity prices began recovering back to pre-energy crisis levels in 2024, a period driven by a complex interplay of factors, including increased heating demand, reduced wind power generation, and water scarcity affecting hydropower production. The rise in natural gas and coal prices, exacerbated by the economic recovery post-COVID-19 and the Ukraine conflict, further contributed to the spike. Despite Germany's progress in renewable energy sources, with over ** percent of gross electricity generated from renewable sources in 2023, the country still relies heavily on fossil fuels. Coal and natural gas accounted for approximately ** percent of the energy mix, making Germany vulnerable to fluctuations in global fuel prices. Impact on consumers and future outlook The volatility in electricity prices has directly impacted German consumers. As of April 1, 2024, households with basic supplier contracts were paying around ** cents per kilowatt-hour, making it the most expensive option compared to other providers or special contracts. The breakdown of household electricity prices in 2023 showed that supply and margin, along with energy procurement, constituted the largest controllable components, amounting to **** and **** euro cents per kilowatt-hour, respectively. While prices have decreased since the 2022 peak, they remain higher than pre-crisis levels, underscoring the ongoing challenges in Germany's energy sector as it continues its transition towards renewable sources.

Gasoline prices in the United States have experienced significant fluctuations over the past three decades, with 2024 seeing an average price of 3.3 U.S. dollars per gallon. This marks a notable decrease from the record high of 3.95 U.S. dollars per gallon in 2022, yet remains considerably higher than prices seen in the early 2000s. Despite this, American consumers continue to enjoy relatively low gasoline prices compared to many other countries, with some European countries paying more than double the U.S. average. Drivers in Hawaii and California pay the most at the pump Gasoline prices vary significantly across the United States, with Hawaii and California consistently ranking as the most expensive states for this fuel. As of January 1, 2025, Hawaii's average price for regular gasoline was 4.54 U.S. dollars per gallon, nearly 1.5 dollars above the national average. California's high prices are largely attributed to its steep gasoline taxes, which reached 68.1 U.S. cents per gallon in January 2024. These taxes play a crucial role in shaping retail prices and are typically reinvested in road infrastructure, demonstrating the direct link between fuel costs and transportation development. Patterns in gasoline consumption In a global context, the United States maintains some of the lowest conventional motor fuel prices among high-income countries. This is largely due to its position as the world's largest crude oil producer, allowing it to keep retail prices comparatively low. Despite fluctuations in price, gasoline consumption in the U.S. remains robust, averaging around 8.5 million barrels per day in 2024. Consumption tends to be highest in the summer months and lowest in the winter months due to changing driving behavior.

In 2024, the global business travel spending increased by more than ** percent. In the following years, it is expected that the expenditure of business tourists keeps growing, but not at the same pace. Resuming business travel after COVID-19 The global health crisis significantly affected the business travel industry, as is evident from the significant drop in business travel spending in 2020. Specifically, the predicted loss in business travel spending worldwide due to COVID-19 added up to more than *** billion U.S. dollars in 2020. While the pandemic is gradually becoming less severe, the impact it had on the travel industry remains. As of February 2022, around one out of ten employees worldwide were still either unwilling or unsure to take business trips. Most expensive cities for business travel Studies have identified the most expensive cities when embarking on travel for business purposes. In 2020, Tokyo was the most expensive city for business travel worldwide based on daily costs. Average costs per day in the capital city of Japan amounted to ****** U.S. dollars in that year. Looking at the most expensive cities for business travel worldwide by daily hotel costs, however, Tel Aviv reported the highest daily prices.