Grocery staples rise in price by 12% in less than two years, survey finds

Politicians have repeatedly claimed that falling grocery prices have helped offset higher taxes and falling wages, but a new survey suggests the opposite has happened.

The price of a typical basket of groceries, made up of staples including bread, milk, sugar and tea, has increased by more than 12 per cent in less than two years, with some products increasing in price by almost 40 per cent, the Consumer Association of Ireland survey shows. The association has regularly tracked prices of a set list of commonly bought groceries for more than a decade and has found that 16 of 19 products it priced last month had risen in price by between 5.5 per cent and 38 per cent in 20 months.

A 1kg bag of Siúcra sugar jumped from €1.05 to €1.45 (a 38 per cent increase), while a packet of Denny Gold Medal sausages rose from €1.55 to €1.85, an increase of almost 20 per cent. A box of Lyon’s Tea that cost €3.24 in 2011 now costs €3.78.

The association’s basket of goods that cost €36.45 in 2011 now costs €41.06, and a person who buys these items on a weekly basis is worse off by almost €240 in a year.

The survey also found indications of widespread price matching across the State’s main supermarkets – Dunnes Stores, Superquinn, Supervalu and Tesco.

There was a price difference of just 55 cent between the cheapest supermarket – Superquinn – and the dearest, Supervalu. The price of the basket of goods in Tesco and Dunnes Stores was identical.