Fresh vegetables and poultry had biggest retail price increases over the last year

The food-at-home CPI for the third quarter of 2013 rose 1 percent from the third quarter of 2012. Historically, food prices have risen approximately 2.5 percent per year, indicating that this was a period of relatively low food price inflation. Fresh vegetable prices increased the most, as prices continue to rebound from the lows of 2012 that resulted from bumper crops for many vegetables. Poultry prices were up 5 percent from the third quarter of 2012, as higher feed prices and strong demand have resulted in steadily rising grocery store prices for chicken for much of 2013. Prices for nonalcoholic beverages as well as fats and oils are down since the third quarter of 2012, due in part to low global prices for coffee and soybeans. This chart is from ERS’s data product, Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials, updated December 9, 2013.

Download higher resolution chart (939 pixels by 730, 150 dpi)