Fruit and vegetables are nearly 20% more expensive than they were a year ago, according to May's Stats NZ figures, whilst Kiwis continue to feel the pinch at the checkout.
Food prices were 12.1% higher in May 2023 than they were in May 2022.
Stats NZ consumer prices manager James Mitchell said there were rises across all food categories as compared to 2022.
“Increasing prices for fresh eggs, potato chips, and lollies were the largest drivers within grocery food," he said.
The second-largest driver of the annual growth in prices was fruit and vegetables, where prices have increased by 18.4%.
The increase was driven by avocados, kūmara, potatoes, and tomatoes.
Restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food prices saw an annual increase of 8.7%, while meat, poultry, and fish prices increased by 11.7%.
However, month-to-month prices only rose 0.3% between April and May and 0.5% when seasonally adjusted.
"Prices for non-alcoholic beverages such as soft drinks, energy drinks, and bottled water increased 4.5% in May, contributing the most to the overall monthly rise," Mitchell said.
"Decreasing prices for fruit and vegetables such as tomatoes, mandarins, and kiwifruit mostly offset the movement of non-alcoholic beverages."
Today's new figures follow an annual reported increase of 12.5% in April, 12.1% in March, and 12% in February.
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