Temporal Evolution of the Multivariate Structure of Food Group Cost in the Basic Family Food Basket of the Districts of Panama and San Miguelito, Using X-STATIS (2018–2025)

Abstract

Food group costs constitute a fundamental component of food affordability; however, differences in their temporal evolution across food groups can make it difficult to identify common cost patterns and periods of greater differentiation within the Basic Family Food Basket. This study aimed to analyze the joint evolution and temporal structure of the costs of ten food groups included in the Basic Family Food Basket of Panama and San Miguelito over the 2018–2025 period. Monthly food-group cost data were analyzed using X-STATIS (Partial Triadic Analysis). The results showed a general upward trend in food-group costs, although different patterns of change were observed among the food groups. The interstructure revealed a clear temporal differentiation between the 2018–2021 and 2022–2025 periods, while the compromise analysis enabled the identification of the common multivariate structure underlying the study period. Likewise, the temporal trajectories showed that the food groups did not evolve homogeneously but instead exhibited different patterns of change throughout the analyzed period. In conclusion, the X-STATIS approach made it possible to simultaneously characterize the common structure and temporal dynamics of food cost, providing a multivariate perspective on the changes observed in the CBFA of Panama and San Miguelito.

Carlos Alfredo Torres Cubilla

Data Scientist

My interests focus on programming, statistics and data science.