Pretty much. I'd also love it (European) if we stil had 2017's rent prices and consumer prices, but we don't. Housing, energy, food, healthcare and everything has gone up like crazy. We're definitely poorer than before, just sweeping it under the rug pretending everyting's fine.
So it boggles my mind that your parent tried to make a point by equating USA 2016 with EU 2022 GDP/capita as if nothing's wrong with that. Are some people that oblivious?