Price of fish and chips jumps a fifth as new tool shows surge in shopping bills
3 May 2023, 11:54
The ONS said the new tool will allow Britons to select from more than 450 items, ranging from cheddar cheese to MOTs, to track their own inflation.
The cost of fish and chips has shot up by almost a fifth and the price of children’s clothes has rocketed, according to a new interactive tool showing Britons how much their shopping bills have surged over the past year.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has launched a comparison tool to show how much everyday items have increased during the cost-of-living crisis.
It comes after UK Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation peaked at 11.1% late last year and food prices continued to soar.
Grocery inflation leapt by more than 19% in March compared with a year ago, as energy and supply chain costs were passed on to shoppers.
How have the price of items changed in the last year?
With our brand-new interactive tool, you can
🛒️add various goods or services to your basket📊 see how the average prices have changed since last year and the annual growth rate
➡️ https://t.co/Ojxn3HKIXK pic.twitter.com/9aonrGRjTb
— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) May 3, 2023
The ONS said the new tool will allow Britons to select from more than 450 items, ranging from cheddar cheese to MOTs, to track their own inflation.
Around 95% of the items used in the tool have seen their price increase in the year to March 2023.
The data, which uses the CPIH (Consumer Prices Index including Housing) measure of inflation, highlights stark jumps in the cost of groceries and eating out.
Over the year, 60 grocery products used in the tool saw prices jump by 20% or more, including five items that rose by 40% or more.
The price of cheddar cheese jumped by 42% for the year, while white sliced bread saw a 29% price increase.
Meanwhile, the cost of a fry up – sausages, bacon, eggs, baked beans and toast – leapt by 24%.
The data also showed a surge in takeaway food and dining, with the cost of an average takeaway fish and chips jumping by 19% to £9.
A hot meal in a pub rose by 13% to an average of £11.05, while the cost of buying a pint of beer and a packet of crisps rose by 7%.
Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “The supermarket shop is an increasingly painful experience for all of us, and you’re not safe in the local takeaway or the pub either.
“This new tool reveals the really horrible price rises that are laying waste to our budgets, and forcing us to cut back or give up on some of the treats we love the most.”
Healthcare products also jumped in price, with the figures showing a 24% jump in the price of cold and flu medication.
A raft of clothing items also increased significantly, with the price of children’s sport trainers leaping by 33% to an average of £34.48.
Meanwhile, the price of infant trousers increased 22% against the previous year.
