The basket is 38.6% higher than January 2020.
The 24-item basket costs $111.35 and is −2.2% year over year. The basket is 38.6% higher than January 2020.
Where prices stand
The Basket Report Grocery Basket Price Index — our fixed set of 24 staples using U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics item prices — stands at $111.35 for September 2026. The basket is 38.6% higher than January 2020. An annual decline and a price level above an older baseline can coexist; neither comparison should be inferred from the other.
What's changed recently
The latest percentage change and the longer-run price level answer different questions. Month over month the basket is +0.2% and over the past year it is −2.2%. The current annual change and the pre-pandemic comparison describe different periods. The basket is 38.6% higher than January 2020. The highest listed source-unit price among the 24 basket components is coffee at $9.33 per lb (September 2026).
Every number is a real price
BLS publishes the underlying item prices. The Basket Report Grocery Basket Price Index is our derived total, using fixed quantities rather than a BLS household spending weight. If an item is unpublished for the target month, the fixed basket reuses its latest prior published price with the source month disclosed; that does not turn it into a new BLS observation.
Frequently asked questions
Are grocery prices going down in 2026?
The Grocery Basket Price Index is +0.2% versus the prior month and −2.2% versus a year ago (September 2026). Individual items still move in both directions within that overall change.
How much have grocery prices risen since 2020?
The basket is 38.6% higher than January 2020. The current total is $111.35 versus $80.34 in January 2020.
What is the most expensive grocery item right now?
Among the 24 Basket Index components, coffee has the highest listed BLS unit price at $9.33 per lb (September 2026). Package units differ across items, so this is not a like-for-like quantity comparison.
Sources and methodology
- BLS average retail food and energy prices
- BLS Consumer Price Index FAQ
- Basket Report methodology
- Basket Report data downloads
Data through September 2026 · Editorial prose reviewed for September 2026 · Source data is independently analyzed by Basket Report and does not imply BLS endorsement.
See the full Grocery Basket Price Index
Track all 24 staples and the headline grocery number month by month.