Annual food price increase the highest in a decade

Higher prices for tomatoes were partly offset by cheaper prices for kiwifruit, kumara, and avocados.

At a more aggregated level, grocery foods had the biggest impact on the annual food prices movement, increasing 4.5 percent. Within this, yoghurt, standard two-litre milk, and fresh eggs were the main contributors. Restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food prices increased 5.1 percent. Households spend more on grocery food than on restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food. Therefore, price changes for grocery food have more impact on the index.

Monthly food prices up 0.6 percent

Food prices rose 0.6 percent in December 2021 compared with November 2021.

There were higher prices for:

• fruit and vegetables, up 2.6 percent
• restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food, up 0.8 percent
• grocery food, up 0.6 percent.

These were partly offset by lower prices for:

• non-alcoholic beverages, down 1.2 percent
• meat, poultry, and fish, down 0.6 percent.

Within fruit and vegetables, higher prices for potatoes, onions, and apples were partly offset by lower prices for nectarines, courgettes, and cucumbers.