Since 2019, food prices have increased every year. In 2022 and 2023, prices went up drastically in many countries. In 2023, in the European Union, inflation reached almost 12.6 percent compared to the previous year. This figure decreased to 2.3 percent in 2024.

Abstract

Food price inflation is an important metric to inform economic policy but traditional sources of consumer prices are often produced with delay during crises and only at an aggregate level. This may poorly reflect the actual price trends in rural or poverty-stricken areas, where large populations reside in fragile situations. This data set includes food price estimates and is intended to help gain insight in price developments beyond what can be formally measured by traditional methods. The estimates are generated using a machine-learning approach that imputes ongoing subnational price surveys, often with accuracy similar to direct measurement of prices. The data set provides new opportunities to investigate local price dynamics in areas where populations are sensitive to localized price shocks and where traditional data are not available.

Geographic coverage notes

The data cover the following areas: Afghanistan, Armenia, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Dem. Rep., Congo, Rep., Gambia, The, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Philippines, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Yemen, Rep.

This dataset provides values for FOOD INFLATION reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Between December 2023 and April 2024, Zimbabwe was the country with the highest level of real food inflation worldwide. Compared to the previous year, food prices had increased by 46 percent in Zimbabwe. Argentina ranked in second place with 20 percent.

This dataset provides values for FOOD INFLATION reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Average food price inflation was highest in low-income countries in 2023 when compared to the rest of the world. When compared to the previous year, food prices were almost 30 percent higher in September and October of 2023 in low-income countries. This figure stood at 3.8 percent for high income countries.

In December 2024, the country with the highest food price inflation compared to the same month of the previous year in Latin America and the Caribbean was Argentina, with an inflation rate of ***** percent. Ranking second was Haiti, with ***** percent. In contrast, Suriname was the only country in the region where the inflation rate decreased by **** percent.

In July 2023, food and beverage inflation in the Gulf Cooperation Council stood between 4.4 and 4.9 percent amongst half of the member countries. Saudi Arabia which is the biggest consumer and importer of food and beverages in the GCC had the second highest inflation rate in the sector, at 4.9 percent. Oman had the lowest inflation in the council, with 2.9 percent. Food inflation, transcendent effects  Being a highly interdependent and vital industry, food and beverage dynamics are quickly felt across the economic spectrum. Historically, the food and beverage industry has been the leading contributor in overall inflation in Kuwait , which had the highest food and beverage inflation rate in the GCC, at 5.7 percent. A survey of price increases on eating out in the UAE has illustrated the effects of food and beverage inflation, and its repercussions for many different industries. At the same time, countries are pushing to produce more of their food needs locally, and in recent years the self-sufficiency ratio of food in the GCC has improved, but the heavy reliance on imports means that the food supply in the council is not immune to international economic factors, and price fluctuations. Food Consumption  Food consumption in the GCC greatly varies between member countries. Saudi Arabia which has the largest population in the council, and hosts millions of religious tourists each year has by far the highest level of food consumption in the region. However, the overall amount of food consumed in the GCC (677373) in previous years has largely remained the same.

This dataset provides values for FOOD INFLATION. reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

In December 2024, the inflation rate for food in the European Union (EU) reached 2.4 percent compared to the same month the year prior. Starting in the beginning of 2022, food prices started to rise rapidly. In March 2023, the food inflation rate in the EU reached its peak at 19.19 percent. Since April 2023, the rate started to decrease. Food inflation in Europe One of the main drivers of the increase in consumer prices was the rapid rise in energy prices. In the energy sector, the harmonized index of consumer prices inflation of the EU, a concept to measure and compare inflation internationally, was at 41.1 percent in June 2022, whereas the other categories were all below 10 percent. In Germany, the year-on-year consumer price index development for food and beverages was at 12.33 percent in the year 2023, just a slight dip from the all-time high of 12.51 percent in 2022. By 2024, this had dropped to 1.92 percent. There are a number of ways in which European consumers are trying to save on food costs due to rising prices. The most popular way to deal with the rising food prices is to reduce at-home food waste. An average of about half of consumers in selected European countries stated that this is how they responded to the price increases. Other popular ways were to buy only the essentials or to purchase mostly store brands. Food inflation worldwide In 2022, Europe and Central Asia were the regions with the highest food inflation rates worldwide. The rate of food inflation in those regions was about 18 percent in 2022, which is more than twice as high as it was in the previous year. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the food inflation rate rose from 5.4 to 11.9 percent during the same period. When categorized by income classification, low-income countries have significantly higher food price inflation, as compared to lower-middle-, upper-middle-, and high-income countries. On average, low-income countries had a food price inflation rate of about 30 percent in 2023. The world average rate was at 6.5 percent. Zimbabwe was the country with the highest level of real food inflation worldwide. The southern African country experienced a food inflation of approximately 46 percent in 2024. This was more than two times as high as in any other country in the world.

The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) averaged 124.9 points in January 2025, down 2.1 points from December 2024. The highest value for the index in the past 23 years was reached in March 2022. However, the rate of food price increases has been decreasing since.

Food prices worldwide The annual FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) by category shows that the price of vegetable oils grew by a particularly large margin. One of the factors that influenced the spike in oil prices worldwide during 2020 and 2021 were the supply-chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, after the war in Ukraine, shipping costs and grain prices also had a noticeable impact on global food prices. Global food prices are calculated to have increased by 3.68 percent, due to changes in shipping costs and grain prices. The European Union (EU) has experienced a particularly high increase in the annual consumer prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages, as compared to other selected countries worldwide. Inflation in Europe

The inflation rate for food in the EU grew from 0.2 percent in May 2021 to 19.2 percent in March 2023, as compared to the same month in the previous year. In the following months, the food inflation started decreasing again, reaching 1.86 percent in April 2024. The overall inflation rate in the Euro area reached its peak in December 2022 at 9.2 percent. The rate has since fallen to 2.4 percent in December 2024. As measured by the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), inflation rates in Europe were highest in Turkey, North Macedonia, and Romania as of December 2024.

In April 2025, food prices in Italy rose by 3.2 percent compared to the same month the previous year. Late 2022 and early 2023 experienced the highest growth in food inflation, with November 2022 showing prices 13.6 percent higher than in November 2021.

Food price inflation in Latin America and the Caribbean reached 77.62 percent in December 2024 compared to the same month the previous year. The surge in food prices has significant implications for household budgets and food security throughout Latin America. Regional variations and contributing factors While the overall trend shows a sharp increase in food prices, there are notable differences among countries in the region. Venezuela and Argentina consistently rank among the nations with the highest food price inflation, while Panama and Ecuador have experienced relatively lower rates. The consumer price index for food in Latin America and the Caribbean jumped from 425.38 points in June 2023 to 1,223.53 points in June 2024, representing an increase of over 158 percent. This rapid escalation in food costs has put considerable strain on consumers across the region. Global context and consumer impact The food price inflation crisis in Latin America is part of a broader global trend. Zimbabwe, for instance, recorded the highest level of real food inflation worldwide between December 2023 and April 2024, with a 46 percent increase compared to the previous year. Argentina followed with a 20 percent increase. The impact on consumers is significant, with many finding it increasingly difficult to afford healthy and sustainable food options. In Argentina, 62 percent of respondents reported difficulty in purchasing such foods due to a lack of affordability, an increase of 7 percentage points from 2021. Similar challenges were observed in other Latin American countries, including Peru, where the share of respondents reporting difficulties rose from 19 percent to 25 percent between 2021 and 2023.

Belgium NBB Forecast: HICP: YoY: Food Inflation data was reported at 2.000 % in 2026. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.000 % for 2025. Belgium NBB Forecast: HICP: YoY: Food Inflation data is updated yearly, averaging 2.650 % from Dec 2017 (Median) to 2026, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.000 % in 2023 and a record low of 0.900 % in 2021. Belgium NBB Forecast: HICP: YoY: Food Inflation data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bank of Belgium. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Belgium – Table BE.I006: Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices: Year on Year Growth: Forecast: National Bank of Belgium.

Mexico's food inflation rate saw an increase of 2.85 percent in February 2025 compared to the same month the previous year. This uptick in food prices continues to impact Mexican households, with the food sector consistently ranking among the categories with the highest inflation rates in the country. The volatility in food prices highlights the ongoing challenges in maintaining stable costs for essential goods in Mexico's economy. Consumer price index trends The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for food in Mexico reached 159.12 in November 2024, up from 150.08 in the same month of the previous year. This increase aligns with the overall inflation trend, as the National Consumer Price Index stood at 136 index points in July 2024. Notably, the food, beverages, and tobacco category had the highest CPI, underscoring the significant impact of food prices on overall inflation. Cereal and cereal product trends Within the food category, different items experienced varying levels of inflation. In November 2024, cereals and cereal based products saw a three percent increase compared to the previous year, while rice prices grew by 8.33 percent. Interestingly, corn tortillas, a staple in Mexican cuisine, experienced a more modest inflation rate of one percent.

Cost of food in the United Kingdom increased 4.40 percent in May of 2025 over the same month in the previous year. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United Kingdom Food Inflation - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

ABSTRACT Food prices play a major role in setting inflation rates, and in recent years’ global climatic conditions has worsened a lot while global demand is increasing due to the growth of the middle class in countries such as China and India. Rising food prices remains a key concern for the government of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia remains vulnerable to increases in food prices due to its high dependence on imports. The Saudi economy is an open-market based economy which is reflected by data of foreign trade with trading partners of the Kingdom. High degree of economic openness of a country causes the domestic inflation rate to be affected by change in the prices of goods in the country of origin. Saudi government is facing the challenge of limiting inflation amid a spike in global food prices. Another major challenge to the effectiveness of the Saudi monetary policy is the lack of autonomy due to the pegged exchange rate system with the US dollar. This paper attempts to study the market dynamics of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, drivers responsible for inflation and measures that has been taken by the government to deal with the situation.

Abstract

Food price inflation is an important metric to inform economic policy but traditional sources of consumer prices are often produced with delay during crises and only at an aggregate level. This may poorly reflect the actual price trends in rural or poverty-stricken areas, where large populations reside in fragile situations. This data set includes food price estimates and is intended to help gain insight in price developments beyond what can be formally measured by traditional methods. The estimates are generated using a machine-learning approach that imputes ongoing subnational price surveys, often with accuracy similar to direct measurement of prices. The data set provides new opportunities to investigate local price dynamics in areas where populations are sensitive to localized price shocks and where traditional data are not available.

        A dataset of monthly food price inflation estimates (aggregated for all food products available in the data) is also available for all countries covered by this modeling exercise.

Geographic coverage notes

The data cover the following sub-national areas: Akkar, Mount Lebanon, Baalbek-El Hermel, North, Beirut, Bekaa, El Nabatieh, South, Market Average

In September 2024, the country with the highest food price inflation compared to the same month of the previous year in Latin America and the Caribbean was Argentina, with an inflation rate of 285.12 percent. Ranking second was Venezuela, with 47.91 percent. In contrast, Costa Rica was one of the two only countries in the region where the inflation rate decreased by 1.49 percent.

The FAOSTAT monthly Food CPI and General CPI database was based on the ILO CPI data until December 2014. In 2014, IMF-ILO-FAO agreed to transfer global CPI data compilation from ILO to IMF. Upon agreement, CPIs for all items and its sub components originates from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the UN Statistics Division(UNSD) for countries not covered by the IMF. However, due to a limited time coverage from IMF and UNSD for a number of countries, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Central Bank of Western African States (BCEAO), Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), UNdata, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and national statistical office website data are used for missing historical data from IMF and UNSD food CPI.

The FAO CPI dataset for all items(or general CPI) and the Food CPI, consists of a complete and consistent set of time series from January 2000 onwards. Data gaps on monthly Food CPI and General CPI are filled using statistical estimation procedures to have full data coverage for all countries for Food CPI and for General CPI. These indices measure the price change between the current and reference periods of the average basket of goods and services purchased by households. The General CPI is typically used to measure and monitor inflation, set monetary policy targets, index social benefits such as pensions and unemployment benefits, and to escalate thresholds and credits in the income tax systems and wages in public and private wage contracts. The FAOSTAT monthly Food CPI inflation rates are annual year-over-year inflation or percentage change over corresponding month of the previous year.

The data included in Data360 is a subset of the data available from the source. Please refer to the source for complete data and methodology details.

This collection includes only a subset of indicators from the source dataset.