Beer, malt beverages
Beer prices
U.S. city average · September 2026
Beer averaged $1.88 per 16 ounces in September 2026; down 0.2% from last month; up 2.2% from last year, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average price data.
Chart shown: July 1995 – September 2026 · Full series: July 1995 – September 2026 (374 observations) · Source: BLS series APU0000720111.
Recent beer price history
| Month | Price | Vs. prior month | Vs. year ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | $1.88 | ▼ 0.2% | ▲ 2.2% |
| August 2026 | $1.88 | ▲ 0.1% | ▲ 2.2% |
| July 2026 | $1.88 | ▼ 0.2% | ▲ 3.0% |
| June 2026 | $1.88 | ▲ 0.3% | ▲ 3.7% |
| May 2026 | $1.88 | ▲ 1.1% | ▲ 2.3% |
| April 2026 | $1.86 | ▲ 0.2% | ▲ 1.6% |
| March 2026 | $1.85 | ▲ 0.1% | ▲ 1.7% |
| February 2026 | $1.85 | ▲ 0.6% | ▲ 1.7% |
| January 2026 | $1.84 | ▲ 0.2% | ▲ 1.4% |
| December 2025 | $1.84 | ▼ 1.4% | ▲ 1.3% |
| November 2025 | $1.86 | — | ▲ 2.8% |
| September 2025 | $1.83 | ▼ 0.2% | ▲ 2.2% |
| August 2025 | $1.84 | ▲ 0.8% | ▲ 2.6% |
| July 2025 | $1.82 | ▲ 0.5% | ▲ 2.5% |
| June 2025 | $1.81 | ▼ 1.1% | ▲ 2.4% |
| May 2025 | $1.83 | ▲ 0.4% | ▲ 3.3% |
| April 2025 | $1.83 | ▲ 0.3% | ▲ 2.9% |
| March 2025 | $1.82 | ▲ 0.1% | ▲ 3.1% |
Beer prices fell 0.2% from August to September 2026. Beer prices are 2.2% higher than a year ago. Prices remain just below the June 2026 peak of $1.88 but well above the 1995 level of $0.80.
From beer to the full grocery basket
Beer is a reference price series and is not weighted into the 24-item Basket Index.
What drives the price of beer
Beer is a manufactured product, so its shelf price is driven less by farm-commodity swings than by the cost of making and packaging it. Brewers buy malting barley and hops, but grain is a small slice of the finished cost; aluminum for cans, glass, cardboard, energy, and labor weigh more, and large brewers contract and hedge their inputs, so retail prices tend to grind upward slowly and rarely fall. Layered on top are federal and state excise taxes on alcohol — fixed per-volume charges baked into the price — and because the category is heavily branded, competition and promotion shape the final number as much as any single ingredient.
BLS series APU0000720111 tracks the average retail price of beer, malt beverages at the U.S. city average, measured per 16 ounces and reported monthly back to 1995.
Background: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service — Corn and Other Feed Grains · U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau — Beer. Price data: BLS series APU0000720111.
Beer price FAQ
How much does 16 ounces of beer cost right now?
As of September 2026, beer averaged $1.88 per 16 ounces at the national U.S. city average, per BLS CPI Average Price Data.
Are beer prices going down in 2026?
The latest 2026 BLS reading shows beer prices down 0.2% versus the prior month and up 2.2% versus a year ago (September 2026).
What is the highest price beer has reached?
The record high is $1.88 per 16 ounces, set in June 2026; the record low is $0.80 in September 1995.
Where does this beer price data come from?
From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Average Price Data program, retrieved via the BLS Public Data API. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
How much did beer cost in 2001?
In 2001, beer averaged $0.96 per 16 ounces at the U.S. city average — versus $1.88 today (September 2026), about 96% higher now.
Cite this
Basket Report. "Average beer price (U.S. city average)." Basket Report — Grocery Price Index. Retrieved October 14, 2026 from https://basketreport.com/prices/beer/. Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, series APU0000720111. <a href="https://basketreport.com/prices/beer/">Average beer price (U.S. city average) — Basket Report</a> (data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, series APU0000720111; retrieved October 14, 2026) Basket Report. (2026). Average beer price (U.S. city average) [Data set]. Basket Report — Grocery Price Index. https://basketreport.com/prices/beer/