The price of bread in the EU has increased sharply, making the staple food more expensive than ever, according to the European Union statistics office Eurostat.
This price rise is mainly due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has disturbed global markets, Eurostat added.
Russia and Ukraine are major exporters of grains, wheat, maize, oilseeds and fertilisers.
Data showed that vegetables and meat have also become more expensive in the European Union, while the prices of cooking oils and fats have risen particularly sharply.
Bread Prices
In August 2022, the price of bread in the EU was 18% higher on average compared with the same period last year, data showed.
This increase is 'huge' compared with August 2021, when the price of bread was 3% higher on average than in August 2020, Eurostat noted.
The impact of increase in bread prices was more evident in some countries, with Hungary seeing a 66% increase in August 2022 compared to a year before.
Lithuania witnessed a 33% increase, while Estonia and Slovakia saw bread prices jump 32%.
Elsewhere, the lowest average rate of change in bread prices was seen in France, with an 8% increase August, while Netherlands and Luxembourg saw prices up 10%.
In Germany, around 10,000 baking firms have said that increased costs can no longer be simply passed on to customers who are already reluctant to buy the staple food, with inflation hitting close to 8%.
Read More: Dutch Bakeries Face Threat Of Closure As Energy Prices Surge: Industry Body
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest fresh produce news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
