Food price inflation: why the cost of making a family spag bol has hit £10
The cost of making spaghetti bolognese for a family of four has risen to £10, up 15.6% in the last year alone, according to the most detailed government data yet published on rising prices
The cost of ingredients for the mealtime staple rose by just 24p between 2018 and 2022 but has now soared to £9.98, a 20% increase since 2018.
The headline figure masks even steeper rises for the key ingredients in the nation’s most popular pasta dish. Olive oil is up over 50% over five years, canned tomatoes over 45%, while dry spaghetti has increased by 39%.
A pandemic followed by war in Ukraine have sent prices soaring, changing the way we live our lives, from the kind of meals we cook to how we spend our free time. Using data released Wednesday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the Guardian has built a calculator to show how much more we all now have to pay for everyday activities compared with 2018, from making a plate of spaghetti, to stocking up on toiletries or going for a night out.
Government statisticians measure inflation by tracking a basket of everyday goods and services, known as the consumer price index.
For the first time the ONS has published the real-world-price data for 455 individual items allowing consumers to see the changes over a five-year period.
A spokesperson said: “We previously published a very small number of average prices. But today is the first time that, using improved methodology, we are now publishing regular average prices for the majority of the basket.”
The detail means it’s possible to look at combinations of items for the first time, building a picture of how recipes or activities cost more. The ingredients needed for a family pot of spaghetti bolognese cost £8.64 just a year ago, but rose
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