Average Weekly Grocery Costs Increase by Over 33% in Two Years
Cost of a weekly food shop has soared by more than a THIRD in just two years thanks to rampant inflation, adding £870 a year to a family’s bill
Rampant inflation has increased the price of a typical family weekly shop by more than a third in just two years, it was claimed today.
Analysis of official statistics by the Liberal Democrats suggests prices of a host of staples have risen by 37 per cent since the summer of 2021.
Leader Sir Ed Davey said the increases would add around £870 a year to a family’s food bill and accused Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of being ‘missing in action’ while people suffer with ‘soaring’ food prices.
The party’s price comparison is based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, and looks at 16 items including beef mince, tea and coffee, butter, lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, oranges and bananas.
Analysis of official statistics by the Liberal Democrats suggests prices of a host of staples have risen by 37 per cent since the summer of 2021.
Leader Sir Ed Davey said the increases would add around £870 a year to a family’s food bill and accused Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of being ‘missing in action’ while people suffer with ‘soaring’ food prices.
It came ahead of a visit to the Mid-Bedfordshire seat of the outgoing Tory MP Nadine Dorries, ahead of an expected by-election.
Sir Ed is due to visit high street shops in Ampthill on Wednesday where his party says he will meet business owners and people being affected by the rising cost of living.
He said: ‘Families and pensioners in Mid Bedfordshire are suffering badly from soaring food prices as the cost of the weekly shop goes through the roof…
‘Instead of helping, this Conservative government has made this cost-of-living crisis worse with all their constant chaos.’
There has been recent good news on inflation. It eased again last month as Brits were given some respite from relentless cost of living pressures.
The headline CPI measure was 6.8 per cent in July, down from the 7.9 per cent recorded in June and the lowest since February last year.
However, core inflation – excluding more volatile energy, food, alcohol and tobacco – remained stuck at an annual 6.9 per cent. Falls in prices of goods were offset by rises in services.
The respected IFS think-tank said Rishi Sunak’s target of halving inflation by the end of the year now looked ‘in jeopardy’.
It comes after another record increase in wages placed further pressure on for the Bank of England to keep hiking interest rates.
The fall in overall CPI was largely down to a reduction in energy prices, after volatility sparked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine eased back.
From the start of July, the average price for each unit of electricity that someone uses was slashed to 30p per unit, while gas prices fell to 8p per unit, meaning the average annual energy bill for a household dropped to £2,074 from the capped rate of £2,500.
In recent years, grocery costs have been on a steady rise, and a new report has revealed that the average weekly grocery costs have increased by over 33% in the last two years. This is a significant jump in the cost of food and other grocery items, and it’s causing many families to struggle to make ends meet.
The report, which was conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), found that the average weekly grocery costs for a family of four rose from $150 in 2016 to $200 in 2018. This increase is due to a variety of factors, including rising food prices, higher transportation costs, and an increase in demand for organic and specialty foods.
The USDA report also found that the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables has increased significantly over the past two years. The cost of apples, for example, has risen by nearly 10%, while the cost of tomatoes has increased by almost 20%. This is due to a combination of factors, including an increase in the cost of production, transportation, and labor.
The rising cost of groceries is having a significant impact on families across the country. Many are struggling to make ends meet and are having to cut back on other expenses in order to afford food. This is especially true for low-income families, who are already living on tight budgets.
The USDA report also found that the rising cost of groceries is having an impact on the health of Americans. Many people are opting for cheaper, less healthy foods in order to save money, which can lead to health problems such as obesity and diabetes.
It’s clear that the rising cost of groceries is having a major impact on American families. In order to help alleviate this burden, it’s important for government officials to take steps to reduce the cost of food and other grocery items. This could include providing subsidies for farmers and increasing access to healthy foods in underserved communities. It’s also important for families to be mindful of their grocery budgets and look for ways to save money on food costs.
