Grocery Prices Price History
1950–2025 · Bureau of Labor Statistics / USDA
Average cost of a standard grocery basket in the United States from 1950 to 2025, plus price histories for individual staples like milk, bread, eggs, and ground beef. Grocery prices hit households where it hurts — every single week. While overall food costs have roughly tracked general inflation over the long run, individual items tell wilder stories. Eggs can spike 70% in a single year due to avian flu. Bread stayed almost flat for a decade, then lurched upward. This dataset breaks down the big picture and the line items.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics / USDA1950–2025
Price in 1950
$15.00
Price in 2025
$221.00
Total Change
+1373.3%
Years Tracked
75
Grocery Prices Over Time
1950Year Range2025
Compare to inflation: The chart above shows nominal (not inflation-adjusted) prices. Use the toggle to switch to inflation-adjusted values when available, or try the inflation calculator to convert any amount between years.
Key Insights
- A weekly grocery run cost about $15 in 1950 and tops $220 in 2025 — but after adjusting for inflation, the real increase is closer to 40%, not the 14x the sticker price suggests.
- Egg prices are the most volatile staple in the basket. Avian flu outbreaks in 2015 and again in 2022-2023 sent prices rocketing, with a dozen eggs briefly topping $4.80 nationally.
- Grocery inflation was nearly flat from the mid-1990s through 2019, making the 2021-2023 surge — when food-at-home prices jumped over 25% — feel especially painful for families.
- Ground beef has been the single biggest driver of protein costs, rising from about $0.53 per pound in 1950 to over $5.60 in 2025, outpacing most other grocery staples in nominal terms.
Year-by-Year Data
| Year | Price (USD (weekly basket)) | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | $15.00 | — |
| 1951 | $16.20 | +8.0% |
| 1952 | $16.70 | +3.1% |
| 1953 | $16.50 | -1.2% |
| 1954 | $16.80 | +1.8% |
| 1955 | $16.60 | -1.2% |
| 1956 | $17.10 | +3.0% |
| 1957 | $17.80 | +4.1% |
| 1958 | $18.40 | +3.4% |
| 1959 | $18.20 | -1.1% |
| 1960 | $19.10 | +4.9% |
| 1961 | $19.30 | +1.0% |
| 1962 | $19.50 | +1.0% |
| 1963 | $19.80 | +1.5% |
| 1964 | $20.00 | +1.0% |
| 1965 | $20.50 | +2.5% |
| 1966 | $21.60 | +5.4% |
| 1967 | $21.80 | +0.9% |
| 1968 | $22.50 | +3.2% |
| 1969 | $23.40 | +4.0% |
| 1970 | $24.80 | +6.0% |
| 1971 | $25.30 | +2.0% |
| 1972 | $26.10 | +3.2% |
| 1973 | $30.50 | +16.9% |
| 1974 | $35.20 | +15.4% |
| 1975 | $38.40 | +9.1% |
| 1976 | $39.50 | +2.9% |
| 1977 | $41.20 | +4.3% |
| 1978 | $44.80 | +8.7% |
| 1979 | $49.60 | +10.7% |
| 1980 | $55.30 | +11.5% |
| 1981 | $58.70 | +6.1% |
| 1982 | $59.20 | +0.9% |
| 1983 | $59.80 | +1.0% |
| 1984 | $61.50 | +2.8% |
| 1985 | $62.80 | +2.1% |
| 1986 | $64.10 | +2.1% |
| 1987 | $66.30 | +3.4% |
| 1988 | $68.90 | +3.9% |
| 1989 | $72.10 | +4.6% |
| 1990 | $74.50 | +3.3% |
| 1991 | $77.20 | +3.6% |
| 1992 | $78.60 | +1.8% |
| 1993 | $80.10 | +1.9% |
| 1994 | $82.40 | +2.9% |
| 1995 | $84.30 | +2.3% |
| 1996 | $87.10 | +3.3% |
| 1997 | $88.60 | +1.7% |
| 1998 | $90.50 | +2.1% |
| 1999 | $92.20 | +1.9% |
| 2000 | $95.10 | +3.1% |
| 2001 | $97.80 | +2.8% |
| 2002 | $99.40 | +1.6% |
| 2003 | $101.30 | +1.9% |
| 2004 | $105.70 | +4.3% |
| 2005 | $108.90 | +3.0% |
| 2006 | $112.40 | +3.2% |
| 2007 | $118.30 | +5.2% |
| 2008 | $126.90 | +7.3% |
| 2009 | $124.50 | -1.9% |
| 2010 | $125.80 | +1.0% |
| 2011 | $132.40 | +5.2% |
| 2012 | $135.70 | +2.5% |
| 2013 | $137.20 | +1.1% |
| 2014 | $139.80 | +1.9% |
| 2015 | $139.50 | -0.2% |
| 2016 | $138.10 | -1.0% |
| 2017 | $140.60 | +1.8% |
| 2018 | $142.90 | +1.6% |
| 2019 | $145.30 | +1.7% |
| 2020 | $153.70 | +5.8% |
| 2021 | $163.80 | +6.6% |
| 2022 | $186.40 | +13.8% |
| 2023 | $205.90 | +10.5% |
| 2024 | $215.30 | +4.6% |
| 2025 | $221.00 | +2.6% |
Year1950
Price (USD (weekly basket))$15.00
YoY Change—
Year1951
Price (USD (weekly basket))$16.20
YoY Change+8.0%
Year1952
Price (USD (weekly basket))$16.70
YoY Change+3.1%
Year1953
Price (USD (weekly basket))$16.50
YoY Change-1.2%
Year1954
Price (USD (weekly basket))$16.80
YoY Change+1.8%
Year1955
Price (USD (weekly basket))$16.60
YoY Change-1.2%
Year1956
Price (USD (weekly basket))$17.10
YoY Change+3.0%
Year1957
Price (USD (weekly basket))$17.80
YoY Change+4.1%
Year1958
Price (USD (weekly basket))$18.40
YoY Change+3.4%
Year1959
Price (USD (weekly basket))$18.20
YoY Change-1.1%
Year1960
Price (USD (weekly basket))$19.10
YoY Change+4.9%
Year1961
Price (USD (weekly basket))$19.30
YoY Change+1.0%
Year1962
Price (USD (weekly basket))$19.50
YoY Change+1.0%
Year1963
Price (USD (weekly basket))$19.80
YoY Change+1.5%
Year1964
Price (USD (weekly basket))$20.00
YoY Change+1.0%
Year1965
Price (USD (weekly basket))$20.50
YoY Change+2.5%
Year1966
Price (USD (weekly basket))$21.60
YoY Change+5.4%
Year1967
Price (USD (weekly basket))$21.80
YoY Change+0.9%
Year1968
Price (USD (weekly basket))$22.50
YoY Change+3.2%
Year1969
Price (USD (weekly basket))$23.40
YoY Change+4.0%
Year1970
Price (USD (weekly basket))$24.80
YoY Change+6.0%
Year1971
Price (USD (weekly basket))$25.30
YoY Change+2.0%
Year1972
Price (USD (weekly basket))$26.10
YoY Change+3.2%
Year1973
Price (USD (weekly basket))$30.50
YoY Change+16.9%
Year1974
Price (USD (weekly basket))$35.20
YoY Change+15.4%
Year1975
Price (USD (weekly basket))$38.40
YoY Change+9.1%
Year1976
Price (USD (weekly basket))$39.50
YoY Change+2.9%
Year1977
Price (USD (weekly basket))$41.20
YoY Change+4.3%
Year1978
Price (USD (weekly basket))$44.80
YoY Change+8.7%
Year1979
Price (USD (weekly basket))$49.60
YoY Change+10.7%
Year1980
Price (USD (weekly basket))$55.30
YoY Change+11.5%
Year1981
Price (USD (weekly basket))$58.70
YoY Change+6.1%
Year1982
Price (USD (weekly basket))$59.20
YoY Change+0.9%
Year1983
Price (USD (weekly basket))$59.80
YoY Change+1.0%
Year1984
Price (USD (weekly basket))$61.50
YoY Change+2.8%
Year1985
Price (USD (weekly basket))$62.80
YoY Change+2.1%
Year1986
Price (USD (weekly basket))$64.10
YoY Change+2.1%
Year1987
Price (USD (weekly basket))$66.30
YoY Change+3.4%
Year1988
Price (USD (weekly basket))$68.90
YoY Change+3.9%
Year1989
Price (USD (weekly basket))$72.10
YoY Change+4.6%
Year1990
Price (USD (weekly basket))$74.50
YoY Change+3.3%
Year1991
Price (USD (weekly basket))$77.20
YoY Change+3.6%
Year1992
Price (USD (weekly basket))$78.60
YoY Change+1.8%
Year1993
Price (USD (weekly basket))$80.10
YoY Change+1.9%
Year1994
Price (USD (weekly basket))$82.40
YoY Change+2.9%
Year1995
Price (USD (weekly basket))$84.30
YoY Change+2.3%
Year1996
Price (USD (weekly basket))$87.10
YoY Change+3.3%
Year1997
Price (USD (weekly basket))$88.60
YoY Change+1.7%
Year1998
Price (USD (weekly basket))$90.50
YoY Change+2.1%
Year1999
Price (USD (weekly basket))$92.20
YoY Change+1.9%
Year2000
Price (USD (weekly basket))$95.10
YoY Change+3.1%
Year2001
Price (USD (weekly basket))$97.80
YoY Change+2.8%
Year2002
Price (USD (weekly basket))$99.40
YoY Change+1.6%
Year2003
Price (USD (weekly basket))$101.30
YoY Change+1.9%
Year2004
Price (USD (weekly basket))$105.70
YoY Change+4.3%
Year2005
Price (USD (weekly basket))$108.90
YoY Change+3.0%
Year2006
Price (USD (weekly basket))$112.40
YoY Change+3.2%
Year2007
Price (USD (weekly basket))$118.30
YoY Change+5.2%
Year2008
Price (USD (weekly basket))$126.90
YoY Change+7.3%
Year2009
Price (USD (weekly basket))$124.50
YoY Change-1.9%
Year2010
Price (USD (weekly basket))$125.80
YoY Change+1.0%
Year2011
Price (USD (weekly basket))$132.40
YoY Change+5.2%
Year2012
Price (USD (weekly basket))$135.70
YoY Change+2.5%
Year2013
Price (USD (weekly basket))$137.20
YoY Change+1.1%
Year2014
Price (USD (weekly basket))$139.80
YoY Change+1.9%
Year2015
Price (USD (weekly basket))$139.50
YoY Change-0.2%
Year2016
Price (USD (weekly basket))$138.10
YoY Change-1.0%
Year2017
Price (USD (weekly basket))$140.60
YoY Change+1.8%
Year2018
Price (USD (weekly basket))$142.90
YoY Change+1.6%
Year2019
Price (USD (weekly basket))$145.30
YoY Change+1.7%
Year2020
Price (USD (weekly basket))$153.70
YoY Change+5.8%
Year2021
Price (USD (weekly basket))$163.80
YoY Change+6.6%
Year2022
Price (USD (weekly basket))$186.40
YoY Change+13.8%
Year2023
Price (USD (weekly basket))$205.90
YoY Change+10.5%
Year2024
Price (USD (weekly basket))$215.30
YoY Change+4.6%
Year2025
Price (USD (weekly basket))$221.00
YoY Change+2.6%
Sources & Methodology
The basket cost is derived from BLS CPI data for "food at home," scaled to approximate a family-of-four weekly grocery bill using USDA Thrifty Food Plan benchmarks. Individual item prices (per gallon for milk, per loaf for bread, per dozen for eggs, per pound for ground beef) come from BLS average price surveys. Pre-1980 item prices are estimated from USDA historical retail price reports.
Primary source: Bureau of Labor Statistics / USDA
For a full explanation of how we collect and adjust data, see our methodology page.