US grocery prices jump 2.9% in April

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said on May 12 that grocery prices rose in April, with the food-at-home index up 0.7% from March and 2.9% from a year earlier. The broader food index rose 0.5% on the month and 3.2% over 12 months, while the overall consumer price index increased 0.6% in April and 3.8% from a year earlier. BLS said five of the six major grocery-store food groups posted monthly increases. (bls.gov) The April reading put grocery inflation at its highest 12-month rate since August 2023, according to the agency’s detailed tables. (ers.usda.gov) ### Which grocery categories moved the most in April? BLS said meats, poultry, fish and eggs rose 1.3% in April from March, led by a 2.7% increase in beef. Fruits and vegetables rose 1.8% on the month, nonalcoholic beverages increased 1.1%, dairy and related products rose 0.8%, and cereals and bakery products edged up 0.1%. The “other food at home” category fell 0.4%. Over 12 months, BLS said beef and veal prices were up 14.8% in April. The meats category rose 8.8%, and meats, poultry and fish rose 6.7%. Food at home overall rose 2.9% from April 2025. (bls.gov) ### Why is beef showing up so clearly in the data? The U.S. Department of Agriculture said in its April 15 Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook that its 2026 beef production forecast was reduced by 20 million pounds from the prior month to 25.790 billion pounds. USDA also said slaughter steer prices were forecast to average $241.66 per hundredweight in 2026, up 8% from last year. (bls.gov) BLS retail price data showed the pressure at the store level. U.S. average prices for ground chuck rose to $6.921 per pound in April from $5.996 a year earlier, while all uncooked ground beef rose to $7.056 from $6.142. (bls.gov) Steak and roast prices also posted double-digit annual increases in the April data. ### What does the government data say about tomatoes and other produce? BLS average price tables showed field-grown tomatoes were among the tracked grocery items in April, alongside bananas, oranges, bread, milk and beef. (ers.usda.gov) The agency’s main CPI release said the fruits and vegetables index rose 1.8% in April from March, making it one of the larger monthly grocery-category increases. USDA’s April 30 Vegetables and Pulses Outlook said it reviewed tomato market activity after the suspension agreement, along with supply, prices, trade and import reliance for vegetables and pulses. (bls.gov) The USDA publication listing did not provide a tomato price figure in the excerpt available through search results, but it identified tomatoes as a focus of the April report. ### How does this fit into the wider inflation picture? BLS said the all-items CPI rose 3.8% in the 12 months through April, compared with 3.3% in March. Energy rose 17.9% over the year, while the food index increased 3.2% and the core index, which excludes food and energy, rose 2.8%. (bls.gov) The food-at-home index accounted for 8.25% of the CPI basket in April, according to BLS Table 7. Beef and veal accounted for 0.627% of the basket and added 0.072 percentage point to the annual all-items increase, the table showed. (ers.usda.gov) ### When will the next official updates arrive? USDA said its next Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook is due on May 18, 2026. The department’s Food Price Outlook page says it typically releases monthly CPI and PPI forecast updates on the 25th of the month, or earlier if the 25th falls on a weekend or holiday. (bls.gov) (ers.usda.gov) (bls.gov)