Which foods have become less affordable for New Zealanders?
New Zealand is experiencing a long-term trend where essential food prices are rising significantly faster than wage growth. Data indicates that staples like butter, eggs, and bread have seen triple-digit percentage increases over the last decade, outpacing the 52 percent rise in wages.
Why it matters
This highlights a growing cost-of-living crisis that impacts household purchasing power and food security for the average citizen.
Some essential food items have increased in price twice as fast as wages have risen over the past 10 years.
New Zealand has gone through a long period of food-price inflation, particularly propelled through the post-Covid period, but while price rises have slowed, the cost of food continues to increase.
Stats NZ data shows many types of food have hit record prices, including fresh fish at $49.62 a kilogram on average, lamb chops at $24.23 a kilogram, fried chicken at $17.12 for five pieces, fish and chips at $11.07, a fresh or toasted sandwich at $6.86, a meat pie at $6.61, two litres of milk at $5.12 and white sliced bread at $2.38 a loaf.
Others were at a level that was already a record, including long-grain white rice and canned pineapples.
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