Cost of food in the United States increased 2.90 percent in May of 2025 over the same month in the previous year. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United States Food Inflation - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

In economics, the inflation rate is a measure of the change in price of a basket of goods. The most common measure being the consumer price index. It is the percentage rate of change in price level over time, and also indicates the rate of decrease in the purchasing power of money. The annual rate of inflation for 2023, was 4.1 percent higher in the United States when compared to the previous year. More information on inflation and the consumer price index can be found on our dedicated topic page. Additionally, the monthly rate of inflation in the United States can be accessed here. Inflation and purchasing power Inflation is a key economic indicator, and gives economists and consumers alike a look at changes in prices in the wider economy. For example, if an average pair of socks costs 100 dollars one year and 105 dollars the following year, the inflation rate is five percent. This means the amount of goods an individual can purchase with a unit of currency has decreased. This concept is often referred to as purchasing power. The data presents the average rate of inflation in a year, whereas the monthly measure of inflation measures the change in prices compared with prices one year ago. For example, monthly inflation in the U.S. reached a peak in June 2022 at 9.1 percent. This means that prices were 9.1 percent higher than they were in June of 2021. The purchasing power is the extent to which a person has available funds to make purchases. The Big Mac Index has been published by The Economist since 1986 and exemplifies purchasing power on a global scale, allowing us to see note the differences between different countries currencies. Switzerland for example, has the most expensive Big Mac in the world, costing consumers 6.71 U.S. dollars as of July 2022, whereas a Big Mac cost 5.15 dollars in the United States, and 4.77 dollars in the Euro area. One of the most important tools in influencing the rate of inflation is interest rates. The Federal Reserve of the United States has the capacity to make changes to the federal interest rate . Changes to the rate of inflation are thought to be an imbalance between supply and demand. After COVID-19 related lockdowns came to an end there was a sudden increase in demand for goods and services with consumers having more funds than usual thanks to reduced spending during lockdown and government funded economic support. Additionally, supply-chain related bottlenecks also due to lockdowns around the world and the Russian invasion of Ukraine meant that there was a decrease in the supply of goods and services. By increasing the interest rate, the Federal Reserve aims to reduce spending, and thus bring demand back into balance with supply.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Inflation, consumer prices for India (FPCPITOTLZGIND) from 1960 to 2024 about India, consumer, CPI, inflation, price index, indexes, and price.

Contributions to the annual inflation rates of input and output producer price inflation by component and overall inflation rates.

In August 2024, the global producer price index (PPI)/ wholesale price index inflation (WPI), excluding the U.S., stood at ******. In the United States, the index value amounted to *****. The PPI/WPI inflation tracks changes in the level of prices received by domestic producers for their goods and services. Consumer habits and price increases As of August 2024, consumers considered rising prices and inflation to be their biggest worry. Consumers are expressing this worry in numerous ways. Globally, over ** percent of consumers have said they would shop less and seek cheaper options in response to price increases. Moreover, nearly ** percent of surveyed consumers globally reduced their gift giving to extended family and friends during the holiday season in 2023 to stretch their budgets further. Impact of inflation on emerging economies Notably, emerging economies have a higher WPI value than advanced economies. Between 2021 and 2022, the average inflation rate in developing and emerging economies increased from *** percent to *** percent, before falling slightly to **** percent in 2023. The countries with the highest inflation rates in 2023 include many developing and emerging economies, such as Zimbabwe, Argentina, Turkey, and Suriname.

U.S. inflation rate for 2023 was 4.13%, a 3.88% decline from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>U.S. inflation rate for 2022 was <strong>8.00%</strong>, a <strong>3.3% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>U.S. inflation rate for 2021 was <strong>4.70%</strong>, a <strong>3.46% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>U.S. inflation rate for 2020 was <strong>1.23%</strong>, a <strong>0.58% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>Inflation as measured by the consumer price index reflects the annual percentage change in the cost to the average consumer of acquiring a basket of goods and services that may be fixed or changed at specified intervals, such as yearly. The Laspeyres formula is generally used.

Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) in World was reported at 5.7332 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Quarterly estimates monitoring the changes in prices charged for services provided to UK-based customers for a range of industries.

In August 2024, the global consumer price index, excluding the United States, stood at *****, compared to ***** for the U.S. The data for the world and emerging economies are distorted by hyperinflation in Venezuela and may not accurately reflect the inflation rate of other countries. However, Russia's war in Ukraine caused a surge in prices globally through 2022 and 2023. The headline consumer price index tracks the changes in the price level of a basket of goods and services purchased by households. Economic challenges in Argentina While CPI increases have been significant globally, certain economies have experienced more dramatic increases than others. Argentina is a notable case of these increases, as the CPI has increased more than *** percent between 2020 and 2023. Currently, most of the Argentinian public considers inflation and low wages to be the biggest challenges facing the country. Consumer responses to price increases Globally, consumers are coping with price increases in many ways. In a May 2023 survey, ** percent respondents from over 14 countries indicated they were more conscious about prices than previously. In another survey from earlier that year, over ** percent of respondents indicated they were most concerned about inflation and had changed their consumption habits as a result.

In December 2024, energy prices increased by approximately 0.7 percent in the European Union, when compared with a year earlier, according to the harmonized index of consumer prices index. This represents a change compared to the dramatic deflation of energy prices experienced between September 2023 and April 2024. During December 2024, the inflation rate for food prices was three percent, while in non-energy industrial goods, costs were estimated to have gone up by 0.7 percent. For services, prices in December 2024 have increased by 4.2 percent compared to the previous year.

The Consumer Price Index in the United States increased 0.10 percent in May of 2025 over the previous month. This dataset provides - United States Inflation Rate MoM - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

It has long been suspected, given the salience of gasoline prices, that fluctuations in gasoline prices shift households' 1-year inflation expectations. Assessing this view empirically requires the use of dynamic structural models to quantify the cumulative effect of gasoline price shocks on household inflation expectations at each point in time. We find that, on average, gasoline price shocks account for 42% of the variation in these expectations. The cumulative increase in household inflation expectations from early 2009 to early 2013, in particular, is almost entirely explained by unexpectedly rising gasoline prices. However, there is no support for the view that the improved fit of the Phillips curve augmented by household inflation expectations during 2009 2013 is mainly explained by rising gasoline prices.

Mexico's food inflation rate saw an increase of 4.86 percent in May 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.

In May 2025, prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages were around 3.3 percent higher than in the same month last year. Compared to previous months earlier in the timeline, prices increased less.

In January 2025, the 12-month inflation rate for food items in the United States was at 2.5 percent. That month, egg prices increased by over 50 percent compared to January 2024. Inflation for sugar and sweets saw an increase at 4.3 percent.

Producer Price Indices (PPIs) are a series of economic indicators that measure the price movement of goods bought and sold by UK manufacturers.

We explain how measures of consumer prices are computed and what the differences are between the consumer price index (CPI) and the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index. We also explain various measures used to gauge underlying inflation, or the long-term trend in prices, such as median and trimmed-mean inflation rates and core inflation.

Graph and download economic data for Inflation, consumer prices for Switzerland (FPCPITOTLZGCHE) from 1960 to 2024 about Switzerland, consumer, CPI, inflation, price index, indexes, and price.

Graph and download economic data for Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food in U.S. City Average (CPIUFDNS) from Jan 1913 to May 2025 about urban, food, consumer, CPI, inflation, price index, indexes, price, and USA.