Overall, food prices ended last year around two percent higher than in 2023. Looking ahead to the rest of the year, the USDA says they could see a drop.
“We are expecting them to grow by 1.3%, which is just one-tenth of a percent higher than what we saw in 2024, when grocery prices grew by 1.2%. And that’s lower than the long-term average over the past 20 years, which has seen an average annual growth of 2.6%,” said Economist Megan Sweitzer.
Egg prices, however, are expected to increase by 20% in the coming year.
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These “USDA Foods” are provided to USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) nutrition assistance programs, including food banks that operate The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and are a vital component of the nation’s food safety net.
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