New Zealand annual food prices up 4 pct

Alsharq Tribune-Otaify 

New Zealand's food prices rose 4 percent in the year to December 2025, easing from a 4.4-percent annual increase in the year to November 2025, Stats NZ reported Friday.

Grocery items led the rise, up 4.6 percent annually, followed by meat, poultry, and fish, which climbed 7.4 percent, said a statement of the statistics department.

Milk rose 15.8 percent, beef steak surged 21.7 percent, and white bread jumped 58.3 percent, it said.

Olive oil provided the biggest offset, falling 23.4 percent from March 2025 to its lowest level since March 2024, said Stats NZ prices and deflators spokesperson Nicola Growden.

Prices for seasonal vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber, and avocado also declined.

On a monthly basis, overall food prices slipped 0.3 percent in December compared with November, led by cheaper non-alcoholic beverages and lower meat prices, while fruit and vegetables rose 1.8 percent, it said.

Energy costs continued to rise, with electricity up 12.2 percent and gas up 17.5 percent year-on-year, statistics showed.

Since December 2021, household electricity prices have climbed 27.3 percent and gas up 56 percent, Stats NZ said.