Zimbabwe has one of the highest inflation rates in the world, officially at 55% in March after reaching a triple-digit rate last year. The Zimbabwean dollar has lost almost 100% of its value against the US dollar over the past year.
In 2008, hyperinflation reached such a level that the central bank issued a trillion Zimbabwe dollar note that has now become a collector's item. In addition to inflation, the approximately 15 million inhabitants are affected by widespread poverty and shortages of food, fuel and even medicine.