As the cost of living crisis continues to cause prices to soar, families across the country are dealing with higher prices across a range of shopping essentials.
One essential that has seen a huge surge in prices is the weekly grocery shop, with a range of basket items rising in cost compared to this time last year.
According to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, the cost of some supermarket goods have jumped by up by almost 18%.
The ONS tracks the prices of supermarket goods and looked at the prices across a variety of 45 food and drink items, including meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables.
Wales Online reported that one household essential - a pint of milk - had the second highest increase with an average cost of 49p in February, which was 7p (17%) more than 42p a year earlier.
Only one item had a higher price, with a 100-125g pack of ham seeing the highest increase as it rose 18 percent to £2.27 from £1.93.
Oranges went up from 32p to 37p each (16%), while instant coffee rose from £2.68 to £3.08 per 100g (15%). The cost of lamb chops, minced beef and fresh tomatoes all went up by around 14% in the year to February.
The vast majority (35) of the items got more expensive over the period, while three remained level and seven got slightly cheaper. The average price of an 800g loaf of wholemeal bread was £1.05 in February, which was down 6p (5%) on the year – although a similar loaf of white bread rose 12p (11%) to £1.26.
The ONS analysis also includes some common non-food items. The price of heating oil shot up by half (49%) to £695.71 per 1,000 litres, reflecting soaring energy prices. And a 20 pack of king-size cigarettes was £12.43, compared to £11.44 a year earlier – a 9% increase.
This comes as the ONS revealed that inflation – the rise in prices of goods and services – hit 6.2% in the year to February, which is the fastest rate in three decades. The overall price of food rose by 4.9%, while non-alcoholic drinks rose by 6.7%.
| Food item | Average retail price (£) Feb 2021 | Average retail price (£) Feb 2022 | Annual difference (£) | Percentage change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ham 100 - 125g | £1.93 | £2.27 | £0.34 | 17.60% |
| Pasteurised milk per pint | £0.42 | £0.49 | £0.07 | 16.70% |
| Oranges each | £0.32 | £0.37 | £0.05 | 15.60% |
| Pure instant coffee | £2.68 | £3.08 | £0.40 | 14.90% |
| Loin chop/steak per kg | £13.52 | £15.45 | £1.93 | 14.30% |
| Best beef mince per kg | £5.86 | £6.68 | £0.82 | 14.00% |
| Tomatoes | £2.35 | £2.67 | £0.32 | 13.60% |
| Salmon fillets per kg | £14.59 | £16.47 | £1.88 | 12.90% |
| Bananas per kg | £0.79 | £0.89 | £0.10 | 12.70% |
| White loaf | £1.14 | £1.26 | £0.12 | 10.50% |
| Fresh or chilled oven-ready chicken kg | £2.68 | £2.93 | £0.25 | 9.30% |
| Margarine/Low fat spread 500g | £1.51 | £1.65 | £0.14 | 9.30% |
| Shoulder of lamb (with/without bone) per kg | £9.14 | £9.94 | £0.80 | 8.80% |
| Granulated sugar kg | £0.71 | £0.77 | £0.06 | 8.50% |
| Carrots kg | £0.50 | £0.54 | £0.04 | 8.00% |
| Apples cooking | £1.92 | £2.07 | £0.15 | 7.80% |
| Mushrooms kg | £3.08 | £3.30 | £0.22 | 7.10% |
| Spreadable butter 500g | £3.19 | £3.38 | £0.19 | 6.00% |
| Tea bags 250g | £2.03 | £2.15 | £0.12 | 5.90% |
| Block of butter 250g | £1.73 | £1.83 | £0.10 | 5.80% |
| White loaf | £1.08 | £1.14 | £0.06 | 5.60% |
| 1.5kf | £0.61 | £0.64 | £0.03 | 4.90% |
| Beef rump steak kjg | £15.39 | £16.12 | £0.73 | 4.70% |
| Pork sausages per kg | £5.16 | £5.38 | £0.22 | 4.30% |
| Pears dessert | £2.14 | £2.23 | £0.09 | 4.20% |
| Coffee sachets | £1.69 | £1.76 | £0.07 | 4.10% |
| Cucumber each | £0.52 | £0.54 | £0.02 | 3.80% |
| Lettuce - iceberg each | £0.53 | £0.55 | £0.02 | 3.80% |
| White fish fillets per kg | £15.80 | £16.25 | £0.45 | 2.80% |
| Apples dessert | £2.11 | £2.17 | £0.06 | 2.80% |
| Potatoes old whitre | £0.58 | £0.59 | £0.01 | 1.70% |
| Cabbage hearts | £0.67 | £0.68 | £0.01 | 1.50% |
| Beef kg | £10.95 | £11.06 | £0.11 | 1.00% |
| Back bacon per kg | £7.16 | £7.23 | £0.07 | 1.00% |
| Pork loin (with bone) per kg | £6.27 | £6.33 | £0.06 | 1.00% |
| Grapefruit ech | £0.54 | £0.54 | £0.00 | 0.00% |
| Avocado pear each | £0.87 | £0.87 | £0.00 | 0.00% |
| Onions kg | £0.83 | £0.83 | £0.00 | 0.00% |
| Broccoli kg | £1.72 | £1.70 | -£0.02 | -1.20% |
| Cheddar type cheese kg | £6.33 | £6.20 | -£0.13 | -2.10% |
| Grapes kg | £3.99 | £3.90 | -£0.09 | -2.30% |
| Cauliflower each | £0.93 | £0.90 | -£0.03 | -3.20% |
| Potatoes new loose | £1.32 | £1.27 | -£0.05 | -3.80% |
| Gammon per kg | £7.59 | £7.28 | -£0.31 | -4.10% |
| Wholemeal loaf sliced | £1.11 | £1.05 | -£0.06 | -5.40% |
Mr Sunak said: “This statement puts billions back into the pockets of people across the UK and delivers the biggest net cut to personal taxes in over a quarter of a century.”Chancellor Rishi Sunak gave an update on the economy in his Spring Statement on Wednesday (March 23), in which he announced a series of measures the Government hopes will ease the cost of living crisis for families across the country. These included raising the threshold at which people pay National Insurance (NI) to £12,570 from July, and a reduction on fuel duty of 5p per litre.
| Non-food item | Average retail price (£) Feb 2021 | Average retail price (£) Feb 2022 | |
Annual difference (£) | Percentage change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heating oil | per 1,000l | £465.70 | £695.71 | £230.01 | 49% |
| Ultra low sulphur/unleaded petrol | per litre | £1.21 | £1.47 | £0.26 | 21% |
| Ultra low sulphur diesel | per litre | £1.25 | £1.51 | £0.26 | 21% |
| Cigarettes | 20 king size filter | £11.44 | £12.43 | £0.99 | 9% |
| Smokeless fuel | per 50kg | £24.03 | £25.03 | £1.00 | 4% |
But the Labour Party said his plans fell short by not including a windfall tax on oil and gas producers’ recent soaring profits. They also called on him to fully scrap the planned hike in NI contributions this April, which will still see many workers pay more despite the increased threshold.
Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “For all his words it is clear that the Chancellor does not understand the scale of the challenge.
“He talks about providing security for working families but his choices are making the cost of living crisis worse, not better.”
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