As inflation has affected American consumers greatly in the checkout lane, there's a few items in particular that have ballooned in cost at a greater rate than inflation.
With existing supply chain issues and the Russian invasion of Ukraine coinciding this year, prices for nearly every item have gone up over the last 12 months, with the overall national inflation rate standing at 8.3 percent.
Grocery items in particular are measured via the Food at Home Index, which monitors year-round price changes in major grocery items, namely cereals, meat, dairy and produce. The Food at Home Index saw a pronounced 13.5 percent increase, also outpacing the 11.4 percent increase seen in overall food prices.
The data was released by the Department of Labor as part of the Consumer Price Index, a monthly release detailing year-over-year price changes in different industries.
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Here's the grocery store items that had the highest price increases over the past 12 months:
- Eggs: 39.8 percent
- Margarine: 38.3 percent
- Butter: 24.6 percent
- Flour and prepared flour mixes: 23.3 percent
- Fats and oils: 21.5 percent
The price of cereals and bakery products saw a 16.4 percent jump over the past 12 months, outpacing the increases seen for both food at home and food overall.
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A steep hike in the prices of dairy and related products was also observed over the past year, with a 16.2 percent jump from last August.
Here's a full look at the price increases by percentage for different food items from August 2021 to August 2022:
Cereals and Grains
- Flour and prepared flour mixes: 23.3 percent
- Breakfast cereal: 16.4 percent
- Rice: 13 percent
- Bread: 16.2 percent
- Fresh biscuits, rolls and muffins: 17.1 percent
- Cakes, cupcakes and cookies: 14.4 percent
Meat, Eggs and Seafood
- Beef and veal: 2.5 percent
- Pork: 6.8 percent
- Chicken: 16.6 percent
- Fish and seafood: 8.7 percent
- Eggs: 39.8 percent
Dairy
- Milk: 17 percent
- Cheese: 13.5 percent
- Ice cream: 14 percent
Fruits and Vegetables
- Apples: 3.8 percent
- Bananas: 8.3 percent
- Oranges and tangerines: 14.4 percent
- Potatoes: 15.2 percent
- Lettuce: 10.7 percent
- Canned fruit: 16.6 percent
- Canned vegetables: 16.1 percent
- Frozen fruits and vegetables: 11.4 percent
Beverages
- Carbonated drinks: 12.9 percent
- Nonfrozen, noncarbonated juices and drinks: 13.4 percent
- Coffee: 17.6 percent
Sweets
- Sugar and sugar substitutes: 15.9 percent
- Candy and chewing gum: 10.9 percent
Baking, Snacks and Baby Food
- Butter: 24.6 percent
- Margarine: 38.3 percent
- Fats and oils: 21.5 percent
- Peanut butter: 15.2 percent
- Snacks: 16.7 percent
- Spices, seasonings, condiments and sauces: 15.4 percent
- Baby food: 12.6 percent
