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Food CPI and Expenditures: CPI for Food Forecasts

For more information, see Analysis and Forecasts of the CPI for Food and What's Behind the Forecasts?

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Changes in Food Price Indexes, 2010 through 2012 April 25, 2012
Item
Relative importance1
 Month-
to-
Month		 Year-
over-
Year
Annual
Annual
Forecast
Feb 2012 to Mar 2012
Mar 2011 to Mar 2012
2010
2011
20122
Consumer Price Indexes  Percent Percent change
All food
100.0
0.1
3.3
0.8
3.7
2.5 to 3.5
Food away from home
39.6
0.2
3.0
1.3
1.9
2.0 to 3.0
Food at home
60.4
0.1
3.6
0.3
4.8
2.5 to 3.5
  Meats, poultry, and fish
12.9
0.8
5.4
1.9
7.4
3.5 to 4.5 
    Meats
8.4
0.8
5.4
2.8
8.8
3.5 to 4.5 
      Beef and veal
3.8
0.8
6.8
2.9
10.2
4.0 to 5.0
      Pork
2.6
0.7
3.4
4.7
8.5
3.0 to 4.0
      Other meats
1.9
0.7
5.7
-0.1
6.4
2.5 to 3.5
    Poultry
2.3
1.4
6.5
-0.1
2.9
3.0 to 4.0
    Fish and seafood
2.2
0.6
3.9
1.1
7.1
4.0 to 5.0
  Eggs
0.8
0.5
5.1
1.5
9.2
1.0 to 2.0
  Dairy products
6.4
-0.1
6.3
1.1
6.8
2.0 to 3.0 
  Fats and oils
1.8
0.1
8.9
-0.3
9.3
3.5 to 4.5
  Fruits and vegetables
9.0
-0.7
-3.9
0.2
4.1
2.0 to 3.0Red arrow pointing down, indicating a decrease
    Fresh fruits and vegetables
6.9
-0.7
-6.6
0.6
4.5
1.5 to 2.5Red arrow pointing down, indicating a decrease
      Fresh fruits
3.5
-0.4
0.1
-0.6
3.3
2.0 to 3.0Red arrow pointing down, indicating a decrease
      Fresh vegetables
3.3
-1.1
-12.6
2.0
5.6
1.0 to 2.0
    Processed fruits and vegetables
2.1
-0.6
5.5
-1.3
2.9
3.0 to 4.0
  Sugar and sweets
2.1
0.5
4.6
2.2
3.3
2.0 to 3.0
  Cereals and bakery products
8.7
-0.3
4.5
-0.8
3.9
3.5 to 4.5
  Nonalcoholic beverages
6.7
-0.1
2.7
-0.9
3.2
1.5 to 2.5
  Other foods
11.9
0.3
4.5
-0.5
2.3
3.0 to 4.0

1BLS-estimated expenditure shares, December 2010. Food prices represent approximately 14 percent of the total CPI.

2Forecasts updated by the 25th of each month.

Red arrows indicate a decrease from March's forecast.

Sources: Historical data from Bureau of Labor Statistics; forecasts by Economic Research Service.

To see how food price indexes changed from 2004-2009, click here.

 
For more information, contact: Richard Volpe and Ephraim Leibtag

Web administration: webadmin@ers.usda.gov
Updated date: April 25, 2012