Facts: Food prices in February
The Food Price Check has examined just over 44,000 items at the big chains. The price development for daily goods was 2.1 percent. For food alone, which is a narrower category percentage, the price increase was 2.5 percent.
So far this year, groceries have risen 3.4 percent.
The price development over twelve months is 15.2 percent for daily goods and 17.8 percent for the narrower category of food.
Matpriskollen is a company that runs an app for consumers and collects food prices from the various chains. Consumers can use the app for free to compare prices and offers. The company is independent, and finances its operations by selling data on prices and campaigns as analysis data.
In January, inflation, the price changes on an annual basis, fell to 11.7 percent according to the CPI measure. This can be compared with 12.3 percent the month before.
Source: Food price survey, Statistics Sweden (SCB).
February’s price increase of 2.1 percent on daily goods is a record, he says. For food alone, the increase is even greater, 2.5 percent compared to January. The food price monitor started measuring in 2015, and has never before measured such a large increase.
— For the whole of 2021, the price increase for daily goods was 1.1 percent. Now it is twice as much in February alone.
Astounding
So far this year, during January and February, the price increase is 3.4 percent for daily goods. Amazing, according to Ulf Mazur.
Food prices in percentage compared to last month.
If you look at the price development over twelve months, it is 15.2 percent for daily goods, and 17.8 percent for the narrower category of food.
He states that the price increases are now becoming a real big concern.
— It doesn’t work out for many. It is becoming a problem that politicians need to do something about, especially for, for example, single people with children. Those who have it the hardest must have food on the table.
This time, for example, baby food has increased the most in price, 10.8 percent in February alone. Above all, it is the gruel that has become expensive, it has gone up 11.7 percent on average across all articles. But there are many gruel varieties that have increased by around 20 percent.
Baby food cans have also increased in price, plus 9.3 percent. So-called “klemmisar”, bags of snacks, have risen 5.5 percent in price during February.
— The last time baby food was raised, in August last year, both diapers, gruel and baby food were raised. Now it is mostly baby food, but it affects vulnerable groups.
But it’s not just baby food that has increased. Even things like animal food, vegetables, snacks and sweets have risen significantly. According to Ulf Mazur, it is no longer about agriculture, as it was in the beginning when food prices went down. Now there are increases in everything, and in all ranks. Packaging, transport and raw materials, and of course everything that is imported.
“Prices must not rise any more, it makes us so poor,” he says, and notes that every percent that food prices rise means increased costs for consumers of three billion kroner.
Big steps
But unfortunately, food prices look set to do just that – rise further. Once product groups are raised, it is a matter of huge steps up. Between 10 and 50 percent is not unusual, and it may continue to be so in the future, he believes.
In January, Coop raised its prices considerably.
— Now the other chains are following suit.
Citygross has raised its prices by 3.2 percent on average, Willys by 3 percent and Hemköp by 2.9 percent. Ica has also raised, but a little less, around 2 percent.
— But they will probably continue to raise, says Ulf Mazur.