Grocery inflation compared: Canada, U.S., and euro area baskets

Food CPI cooled from peaks, but cumulative price levels remain far above 2019 — and national baskets differ more than politicians admit.

By Priya Nair

Published Jul 2, 2025, 12:00 p.m. EDT · Updated July 5, 2025

LeanSlight left(-18)Methodology

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Food-at-home inflation dominated kitchen-table politics from 2021 through 2023. By 2024–2025, year-over-year food CPI in Canada (StatsCan), the United States (BLS CPI), and the euro area (Eurostat HICP food) had slowed sharply from double-digit peaks — yet the level of prices remained much higher than pre-pandemic.

Cumulative increases matter more than the latest monthly print for household budgets. A 3% food inflation rate after a 20% cumulative rise is not a return to 2019 purchasing power.

Disinflation is not deflation. The bill can stop rising fast and still feel permanently higher.

Method: Compare food-at-home / food & non-alcoholic beverages indices rebased to 2019=100 across StatsCan, BLS, and Eurostat — not grocery-chain flyer anecdotes.

Competition-bureau and antitrust reviews in several countries examine concentration; separating global commodity shocks from domestic margin behaviour requires the microdata those agencies cite — not vibes.

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