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Fresh Vegetables Price Inflation in 2026

Fresh Vegetables prices are +11.5% compared to a year ago — a very high rate of inflation. This is 8.3 percentage points above overall food inflation. For the average household, this adds roughly $36.0/year to fresh vegetables spending.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U · Latest: April 2026

Annual Change

+11.5%

year-over-year · April 2026

Monthly Change

+3.9%

seasonally adjusted MoM

Overall Food Inflation

+3.2%

all food categories · April 2026

What This Means for Your Wallet

The average U.S. household spends approximately $26.0/month on fresh vegetables. At a 11.5% annual inflation rate, that same amount costs about $29.0/month today — $3.0 more per month than a year ago, or roughly $36.0/year in extra spending.

Typical monthly spending estimate based on BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2020 averages. Actual amounts vary by household size and location.

Context: Fresh Vegetables vs. Overall Food Inflation

Overall food inflation is running at +3.2% annually. Fresh Vegetables at +11.5% is rising faster than the average — it is one of the bigger contributors to your grocery bill increase.

Category Annual Change Monthly Change
Food at Home +2.9% +0.7%
Cereals & Bakery Products +2.6% +0.1%
Meats +8.8% +1.8%
Beef & Veal +14.8% +2.7%
Poultry +0.5% -0.9%
Fish & Seafood +6.2% +1.5%
Eggs -39.2% +1.5%
Milk +0.5% +1.6%
Fresh Fruits +2.1% +0.8%
Fresh Vegetables ◀ +11.5% +3.9%
Coffee +18.5% +2.0%
Fats & Oils -0.2% -0.7%

Why Are Fresh Vegetables Prices Rising?

Food prices are shaped by several layers of cost: farm-level input costs (feed, fertilizer, energy), processing and packaging, transportation and logistics, and finally retail markup. When inflation runs through the economy, all of these layers add cost simultaneously.

The BLS measures fresh vegetables prices monthly as part of the Consumer Price Index, collecting data from thousands of stores across the country. The annual figure of +11.5% reflects the average price change from April 2026 one year ago to April 2026 today.

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U · Updated monthly · bls.gov · Price Inflation Report