Upstream Pressure

Grocery Prices Cumulative Change Since Jan 2020

BLS data

What is the current Grocery Prices Cumulative Change Since Jan 2020?

GROCERY PRICES CUMULATIVE CHANGE SINCE JAN 20
32.65% ↑ Worsening
Groceries cost 33% more than they did in January 2020
One year ago
29.1% ↑ Worsening
up 3.5 points since Mar 2025

Grocery Prices Cumulative Change Since Jan 2020: 32.65% as of 2026-03, and worsening. Source: Computed from BLS Food CPI.

Groceries cost 33% more than they did in January 2020

BLS data. The cumulative increase has not reversed despite the slowdown in food inflation. A $200 weekly grocery trip in 2020 now costs $266.

Source: Computed from BLS Food CPI · Latest: 2026-03
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Explore Further

📊 Grocery Prices Since 2020 → 📖 What Is Inflation? → 📖 What Is Purchasing Power? →

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How has Grocery Prices Cumulative Change Since Jan 2020 changed over time?

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Grocery Prices Cumulative Change Since Jan 2020 over time
Grocery Prices Cumulative Change Since Jan 2020, percent
Grocery Prices Cumulative Change Since Jan 2020
Data: Computed from BLS Food CPI Updated Apr 2026

Most affected counties

Counties with the highest housing cost burden scores in the County Distress Index.

1 Miami-Dade County FL 98 2 Passaic County NJ 97.8 3 Los Angeles County CA 97.6 4 Butte County CA 97.4 5 Humboldt County CA 97.2 6 San Diego County CA 97.2 7 Bronx County NY 97.1 8 Brazos County TX 97.1 9 Santa Barbara County CA 97 10 Whitman County WA 97
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Historical data
Monthly · Computed from BLS Food CPI
Period Value YoY Change
Mar 2026 32.65% +3.5 pts
Feb 2026 32.66% +4.0 pts
Jan 2026 32.14% +3.8 pts
Dec 2025 31.89% +3.9 pts
Nov 2025 31.04% +3.4 pts
Sep 2025 30.92% +4.0 pts
Aug 2025 30.63% +4.1 pts
Jul 2025 30.08% +3.7 pts
Jun 2025 29.92% +3.8 pts
May 2025 29.54% +3.6 pts
Apr 2025 29.16% +3.5 pts
Mar 2025 29.1% +3.7 pts

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Grocery Prices Cumulative Change Since Jan 2020?

BLS data

Why does Grocery Prices Cumulative Change Since Jan 2020 matter for financial distress?

Grocery Prices Cumulative Change Since Jan 2020 is one of the indicators tracked by the American Distress Index (ADI), which measures five dimensions of U.S. household financial distress: Buffer Depletion, Debt Stress, Financial Conditions, Cost Pressure, and Labor Market disruption. Changes in this indicator contribute to the overall distress picture.

Where does the Grocery Prices Cumulative Change Since Jan 2020 data come from?

This data comes from Computed from BLS Food CPI. More information: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CUSR0000SAF11. The American Distress Index updates this indicator monthly.

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Why does Grocery Prices Cumulative Change Since Jan 2020 matter?

Grocery Prices Cumulative Change Since Jan 2020 is one of 91 indicators in the American Distress Index's upstream pressure layer — the signal that predicted the 2008 crisis two years before delinquency data confirmed it.
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