Grocery prices are on the rise – in part due to inflation and tariffs – and relief does not appear to be coming anytime soon.

Food prices at grocery stores rose by 0.6% from July to August, the fastest monthly rate change for groceries since October of 2022, according to the latest Consumer Price Index from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Groceries are also 29% higher since before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to CPI statistics.

What is causing food prices to rise?

There are several reasons food prices have increased, said David Ortega, a food economist and professor at Michigan State University.

It started with supply-chain disruptions from COVID-19, Ortega said, and then Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 caused a rise in commodity and energy prices. Then the bird f

See Full Page