The peak year was 1953, a year of prosperity in which a record total was paid out in wages. The present slight decline actually conceals a steady increase in khat consumption among the population. There is less money available to buy khat, but a larger number of people are consuming it. A study of khat movements from producer to consumer reveals that it undergoes sudden price rises at certain stages. A bunch weighing 280 g is bought for 20 French Somali francs from the Ethiopian producer, and eventually costs the consumer almost 200 francs.
Prices vary from one day to the next, viz.
The average price can be considered to be 180 francs per bunch, which we shall take as a basis in estimating the amount of wages spent on khat. The whole khat problem can be resolved into a problem of nutrition. The per capita food budget is naturally hard to estimate. It varies greatly between individuals, depending on their race, social position, dependents and habits. For the population as a whole, it can be determined only approximately on the basis of the average monthly wage.