Food prices increased by 4% in the 12 months to December 2025, down from a 4.4% increase in the 12 months to November.
According to Stats NZ figures out today, higher prices for the grocery food group, up 4.6%, contributed the most to the annual increase.
This was followed by 7.4% increase in the cost of meat, poultry, and fish.
Milk was up 15.8% ($4.92 per 2 litres) and a kg of porterhouse steak was up 21.7%. White bread was up 58.3% annually – averaging $2.20 per 600g.
In better news, the price of olive oil has declined since March 2025. Back then, a litre set shoppers back $22.79. In December it cost $17.45, a 23.4% fall.
There was good news too for salad lovers, said prices and deflators spokesperson Nicola Growden.
“Salad season was cheaper in December 2025 as prices for vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber, and avocado were all down as well.”
Monthly food prices down 0.3% in December
Cheaper non-alcoholic beverages led this trend (down 2.1% in a month), followed by meat, poultry, and fish, (down 0.9%). Fruit and vegetables went up 1.8%.
“A Sunday roast lamb was cheaper for the month of December,” Growden said. It was down 27.4%
“However, the prices of vegetables that typically accompany roast lamb, such as onions, carrots, broccoli, and potatoes, increased.”
Onions saw a 38.2% monthly price bump to $2.28 per kilogram.
Electricity and gas prices weren’t helping households either, with respective monthly increases of 1.5% and 1.9%. Annual increases were 12.2% and 17.5% respectively to December 2025.
“The price for powering a household continues to increase both monthly and annually. Since December 2021, electricity prices have risen by 27.3 percent, while gas has risen by 56.0 percent,” Growden said.
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