A new official interactive tool helping Britons measure the rise in their shopping bills was launched today, with annual grocery inflation now standing at 19 per cent.
The comparison tool from the Office for National Statistics shows how the cost of living has dramatically increased over the past year as overall inflation has soared.
Statisticians said there were 60 grocery items featured in the tool that saw prices rise by 20 per cent or more in a year and five items that rose by at least 40 per cent.
They said milk, cheese and eggs products saw one of the highest annual inflation rates in groceries, with a 30 per cent increase in the 12 months to March 2023.
Hard cheese such as emmental and gruyere has seen the largest rise with an annual inflation rate of 44 per cent, increasing from £6.92 to £9.98 the year to March 2023.
They said a roast dinner for four people, including a whole chicken (1.5kg), white potatoes (1kg), carrots (1 kg), broccoli (350g) and butter (100g) now costs £8.68 on average, up £1.68 in a year – with broccoli recording the biggest rise at 34 per cent.
Across fast food and takeaways, fish and chips saw the largest increase at 19 per cent, while the price of a pub hot meal went up 13 per cent or £1.25 to an average of £11.05. The price of an alcoholic drink is also up, with gin, vodka and liqueurs rising.
Here, try using the new tool from the Office for National Statistics by searching for items in the search box or list to add to your shopping basket and create a total:
The ONS said its new comparison tool allows users to select and track how the average prices of more than 450 individual items, from bananas to nursery fees.
It said 95 per cent of the items included in the tool have seen their price increase in the past year to March 2023.
The tool shows average price changes on an item-by-item basis, and also lets you users create their own basket of items and tot-up the total average price change.
In cash terms, hard cheese, cheddar – which is not included under ‘hard cheese’ – and soft cheese all increased by over £2.50 per kg in the last year.
A dozen eggs increased by over 77p across the same period, with the average price for a dozen eggs being £3.19 in March 2023.
Oils and fats are another category of groceries increasing faster than the overall grocery average, at 26 per cent in the 12 months in March 2023.
All items in oils and fats saw a rise in price but olive oil increased the most, up by 49 per cent in the 12 months to March 2023 – a rise of £1.91 to £5.78.
Between March 2022 and March 2023, some of the other increases in this category were 250g of butter at 30 per cent – which was an average increase of 55p to £2.36; and 500g of spreadable butter at 16 per cent – an average increase of 62p to £4.37.
Annual inflation rates for products including milk, cheese and eggs, for March 2023 compared with March 2022. Hard cheese such as emmental and gruyere has seen the largest rise at 44%
All items in oils and fats have seen an increase in price but olive oil has gone up the most, increasing by nearly 50 per cent in the 12 months to March 2023
Meanwhile a 350g jar of peanut butter rose 9 per cent – an average increase of 17p to £2.07)
The ONS also said it had seen a large increases in the price of cucumber.
The official figures also show that eating out has on average risen in price, with products in fast food and takeaway good services rising 13 per cent and products from restaurants, cafes and dancing establishments increasing 10 per cent, in the last year to March 2023.
Three in ten fast food and takeaway items in its shopping prices comparison tool saw an average price increase of 15 per cent or more in the 12 months in March 2023
A takeaway or eat-in burger went up 17 per cent – an average increase of 64p to £4.35; while a takeaway chicken and chips increased 17 per cent -an average rise of 89p to £6.18)
At the pub, a liqueur – a definition which covers an ‘alcoholic drink such as orange and amaretto liqueur’ – was up 11 per cent, an average increase of 34p to £3.51 per 30ml.
Meanwhile vodka was up 10 per cent – an average increase of 35p to £3.85 per 30ml; and gin was up 10 per cent – an average increase of 34p up to £3.82 per 30ml.
In medicine, cold and flu drink powder sachets increased the most of all health items, at 24 per cent in the last year – an average increase of £1.02 to £5.22.
Three in ten fast food and takeaway items in the ONS shopping prices comparison tool saw an average price increase of 15 per cent or more in the year to March 2023
Nursing home costs were up 10 per cent – an average increase of £107.21 to £1,176.20 per week; while cough syrup was up 9 per cent – an average increase of 45p to £5.62 for 150 to 200ml.
Meanwhile some clothing and footwear items have increased in price by well over 15 per cent.
The overall prices of clothing and footwear rose by 7 per cent in the year to March 2023, slightly down from 8 per cent in February 2023.
But the ONS said that for more than half of the garments in the shopping price comparison tool, prices increased at a faster rate than the latest available official consumer price inflation measure for clothing and footwear.
It also pointed out that there is much seasonality in clothing prices which may account for some of the variation seen.
The ONS said winter medicine products show some of largest increases across all health items
The ONS said that over a third of the clothing and footwear items in the comparison tool increased by more than 10 per cent.
The three largest average rises were seen in child’s sports trainers at 33 per cent – an average increase of £8.61 to £34.48; infant’s trousers at 22 per cent – an average increase of £1.69 to £9.45; and child girl’s trousers at 20 per cent – an average increase of £2.22 to £13.48.
However, this category also saw the largest number of items in the tool recording a fall in price in the last year.
Within clothing or footwear, eight items reported a decrease in price, with the largest average falls in the last year seen in girl’s fashion top, down 7 per cent – an average decrease of 65p to £8.59.
Following behind is a men’s base layer, down 2 per cent – an average decrease of 50p to £26.34; and child’s pyjamas (aged 3 to 13 years) down 2 per cent – an average decrease of 18p to £10.96.
It comes after figures from Kantar last week showed annual grocery price inflation remained above 17 per cent, with own label grocery sales up 13.5 per cent year on year and the very cheapest value lines soaring by 46 per cent.
