The cost of budget pasta and vegetable oil has risen by almost two-thirds over the past year as the poorest families face a further squeeze on their household bills.
New data from the Office for National Statistics released on Tuesday showed that a sample of 30 everyday grocery items taken from the cheapest online supermarket ranges jumped by 17 per cent overall in the 12 months to September.
The statisticians said the cost of the lowest-priced vegetable oil had spiked 65 per cent and the cheapest pasta was now 60 per cent more expensive than a year ago.
Although figures are broadly in line with the ONS’s official measure of inflation for food and drink, which was 15 per cent over the same period, the cost of budget food has increased by 10 percentage points since April – with nine of the 30 items analysed rising by more than 20 per cent in the last year.
The price of the cheapest tea had also risen by 46 per cent, chips were up 39 per cent, bread rose by 38 per cent and biscuits were up 34 per cent.
Since April 2022, the price of the below increased most in cash terms:
Inflation in September hit 10 per cent and is expected to rise further next month despite the government’s new £2,500 cap on average annual energy bills comes into force.
But families face a further blow with the Bank of England set to hike interest rates next month as it tries to bring inflation back under control.
National Statistician Sir Ian Diamond said: “While the recent spike in inflation began with energy prices, today’s fresh insights using a new innovative data source show they are now filtering through to other important items, with the cheapest price of some staple food items rising by around two thirds in the last year.
“Figures from our near real time survey of people show that while rises in food and energy costs are affecting many people across the country, those who are disabled, from certain ethnic minority backgrounds and renters are among those struggling the most.
“With rises in the cost of living at the forefront of many people’s minds, our new, almost real time, data showing just how prices are changing and shining a light on how different groups are affected have never been more important.”
Of the 30 items tracked by the ONS, prices for four fell with orange juice showing the biggest drop of 9 per cent, minced beef falling 7 per cent and sugar and rice dropping by 0.3 per cent and rice 0.2 per cent.
