Source: USDA ECONOMIC RESEARCH SERVICE, 4/23/21

This page summarizes the April 2021 forecasts, which incorporate the March 2021 Consumer Price Index and Producer Price Index numbers.

Consumer Price Index for Food (not seasonally adjusted)
The all-items Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of economy-wide inflation, increased by 0.6 percent from February 2021 to March 2021 before seasonal adjustment, up 2.6 percent from March 2020. The CPI for all food increased 0.2 percent from February 2021 to March 2021, and food prices were 3.5 percent higher than in March 2020.
The level of food price inflation varies depending on whether the food was purchased for consumption away from home or at home:
• The food-away-from-home (restaurant purchases) CPI increased 0.1 percent in March 2021 and was 3.7 percent higher than March 2020; and
• The food-at-home (grocery store or supermarket food purchases) CPI increased 0.2 percent from February 2021 to March 2021 and was 3.3 percent higher than March 2020.

In 2021 thus far compared to 2020 (reported as "Year-to-date avg. 2020 to avg. 2021"), food-at-home prices have increased 1.0 percent and food-away-from-home prices have increased 2.3 percent. The CPI for all food has increased an average of 1.6 percent. Of all the CPI food-at-home categories tracked by the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the fresh fruits category has had the largest relative price increase (3.3 percent) and the beef and veal category the largest relative price decrease (0.4 percent).

For the full report, click here.