Historical comparison · Updated September 2026
Have grocery prices risen faster than overall inflation?
The fixed 24-item grocery basket was $111.35 in September 2026, +38.3% versus September 2019; the dollar difference was $30.86 higher.
$80.49 in September 2019 → $111.35 in September 2026
Basket change versus CPI-U
The Basket Index changed +38.3% over this same-month period. The all-items CPI-U changed +31.2%. The comparison uses percentage movement, not the unlike raw index levels.
Comparison methodology
Both series are rebased to their same-month 2019 observations. The grocery basket is a dollar index; CPI-U is an official price-level index.
Baseline observation: 2019-09. Latest observation: 2026-09. The item table includes 23 weighted items with an observed value in both periods; excluded observations are not estimated.
Grocery basket history
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI Average Price Data. Retrieved 2026-10-14. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
Largest contributors
Ground beef contributed $5.88 of increase; Orange juice contributed $2.40 of increase; Potato chips contributed $2.11 of increase; Milk contributed $2.01 of increase; Eggs contributed $1.78 of increase. Contributions use fixed Basket Report quantities.
Item-level comparison
| Item | 2019-09 | Current | Change | Weighted $ difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef | $3.85 | $6.79 | +76.4% | $5.88 |
| Orange juice | $2.41 | $4.82 | +99.5% | $2.40 |
| Potato chips | $4.56 | $6.67 | +46.2% | $2.11 |
| Milk | $3.10 | $4.11 | +32.4% | $2.01 |
| Eggs | $1.38 | $2.27 | +64.3% | $1.78 |
| Chicken breast | $2.93 | $4.20 | +43.4% | $1.27 |
| Bacon | $5.57 | $6.76 | +21.3% | $1.19 |
| Chicken | $1.49 | $2.06 | +38.8% | $1.15 |
| Bread | $1.30 | $1.83 | +41.2% | $1.07 |
| Pork chops | $3.84 | $4.91 | +27.7% | $1.06 |
| Ham | $4.44 | $5.45 | +22.8% | $1.01 |
| Sugar | $0.60 | $1.02 | +71.0% | $0.85 |
| Cheddar cheese | $5.41 | $6.13 | +13.4% | $0.73 |
| Rice | $0.80 | $1.12 | +40.3% | $0.64 |
| Oranges | $1.43 | $1.72 | +20.8% | $0.59 |
| Potatoes | $0.79 | $0.99 | +24.6% | $0.58 |
| Lettuce | $1.11 | $1.64 | +47.8% | $0.53 |
| Bananas | $0.57 | $0.66 | +15.3% | $0.26 |
| Flour | $0.45 | $0.55 | +21.4% | $0.19 |
| Spaghetti & macaroni | $1.18 | $1.38 | +16.1% | $0.19 |
| Tomatoes | $1.91 | $1.99 | +4.2% | $0.16 |
| Lemons | $2.05 | $2.13 | +4.0% | $0.16 |
| Butter | $3.95 | $3.96 | +0.1% | $0.00 |
Important limitations
The two series cover different goods and weights. Their percentage changes are comparable; their raw index levels are not.
Basket Report uses U.S. city-average BLS observations. Store, region, brand, package-size, and household spending patterns vary. No missing value is filled or forecast.
Frequently asked questions
Is Basket Report a replacement for CPI-U?
No. Basket Report is a narrow grocery benchmark derived from BLS average prices.
Why rebase both series?
Rebasing compares percentage movement from a common starting point without equating unlike raw levels.