Food Prices Increase 4.6 Percent Annually

Food prices increased 4.6 percent in the 12 months to June 2025, following a 4.4 percent increase in the 12 months to May 2025, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

Higher prices for the grocery food group and the meat, poultry, and fish group contributed most to the annual increase in food prices, up 4.7 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively.

The price increase for the grocery food group was due to higher prices for milk, butter, and cheese.

"Dairy products continue to drive the higher cost in food prices," prices and deflators spokesperson Nicola Growden said.

The average price for:

• milk was $4.57 per 2 litres, up 14.3 percent annually
• butter was $8.60 per 500 grams, up 46.5 percent annually
• cheese was $13.04 per 1 kilogram block, up 30.0 percent annually.

"Butter prices are nearly five dollars more expensive than 10 years ago, an increase of over 120 percent," Growden said.

The increase in the meat, poultry, and fish group was driven by higher prices for beef steak and beef mince, up 22.3 percent and 15.6 percent, respectively.

"The average cost for 1kg of beef mince was $21.73 in June 2025, up from $18.80 a year ago," Growden said.

Rent prices increase 2.6 percent annually

Rent prices increased 2.6 percent in the 12 months to June 2025, following a 2.8 percent increase in the 12 months to May 2025.

The 2.6 percent increase is the lowest increase for rent prices since October 2011, when rent prices increased 2.5 percent.

Monthly food prices

Food prices were up 1.2 percent in June 2025, following a 0.5 percent rise in May 2025.

Higher prices for the fruit and vegetables group and the grocery foods group drove the increase in food prices for June 2025, up 5.0 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively.

More expensive tomatoes, capsicum, and broccoli drove the increase for fruit and vegetables, while higher prices for boxed chocolates and eggs drove the increase for grocery foods.