Food prices jumped last month in American supermarkets but fell worldwide, due in large part to the coronavirus pandemic, according to statistics from the federal government and the United Nations.
Food prices rose 1.5% in April over March, and prices for food consumed at home went up 2.6%, according to the Consumer Price Index put out by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This compares to month-over-month increases of no more than 0.5% for each of the last six months.
The highest increases were seen in animal proteins (meat, poultry, fish and eggs), at 4.3%, with eggs alone going up 16%. Cereals and bakery products went up 2.6%, the largest monthly increase ever.
Meanwhile, spending on food consumed away from home was up only 0.1% in April over March, and for full-service restaurants, spending actually declined 0.3%.
But worldwide, food prices have been dropping, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. The price of a standard market basket, which includes cereals, oilseeds, dairy products, meat and sugar, was down 3.4% in April over March. This was the third consecutive month of decline.
Some of the largest price declines in the FAO report were in sugar (14.3%), vegetable oil (5.2%) and dairy (3.6%). However, rice and wheat prices were up.
