EXPLAINED: Where in France are food prices rising the most?
What you'll pay for everyday goods in France depends heavily on where you live in the country, a new study has revealed.
Inflation is hitting everyone in the pocket in France. According to the latest official figures, France’s annual inflation rate rose to 6 percent in January 2023, from 5.9 percent in December, early estimates have showed.
But the increase in prices is not uniform, with food prices rising at a much faster rate, and at different speeds across the country, a new study by France Info has revealed.
According to a regular study by market researcher Nielsen IQ, a basket of 37 commonly purchased items - including flour, sugar, bread, spaghetti, tuna, rice, olive oil, UHT milk, eggs, yoghurt, frozen burgers and shower gel - cost, on average €104.31 in France in January, an increase of €2.21 in just a month, and 15.6 percent in 12 months.
But the increase, it noted, was not uniform, with noticeable differences depending on where people live. Unsurprisingly, Paris and Île de France are among the most expensive areas, while the western département of Vendée, in Pays de la Loire, was the least expensive - and the gap is widening.
In Paris, the cost of that basket of 37 regularly purchased products has risen 16.39 percent in a year. An “economy” 1kg bag of flour has jumped 36.2 percent over the same period, while a 1kg bag of sugar has risen 29.81 percent, according to figures collected by NielsenIQ.
The full basket of goods would set a shopper in Paris back an average of €124.44 at the end of January 2023 - up €2.64 since December 2022 and noticeably higher than the nationwide average.
The same basket of goods in the Vendée, however, costs - on average - just €99.30 in January. Though that too is an increase of €2.10 compared to December 2022, the study found it to be the cheapest département in the country. And the cost of a 1kg economy bag of flour has risen nearly 41 percent year-on-year; while a bag of sugar has jumped more than 50 percent.
Over in Calvados in Normandy, it cost €103.68, a rise of €2.20 in a month, and 16.11 percent year-on-year. The cost of that bag of sugar has jumped 47.7 percent in 12 months, while flour is 39.06 percent more expensive per kilogramme.
The same products would have set a consumer back €102.43 in Morbihan, southern Brittany - up €2.17 since December, with the price of a kilo of flour increasing 41.69 percent year on year, while sugar jumped 47.74 percent.
Meanwhile, in central départment of Cher, that basket cost €104.73 in January, NielsenIQ found, up €2.22 in a month, and 16.09 percent in a year. A kilo of sugar was 45.98 percent more expensive in January 2023 than in January 2022, and flour had risen 38.31 percent.
Further south, in the Dordogne, the average price of the 37-product basket of goods was €102.12 in January, an increase of €2.16 in a month, and a total year-on-year rise of 15.28 percent. A cost of a bag of sugar rose 49.76 percent, and a bag of flour 40.92 percent
It’s more expensive in Pyrénées-Atlantiques, where the same basket cost €103.37, according to NielsenIQ, up €2.19 since December 2022, and 15.3 percent year on year. A bag of flour has risen a shade under 40 percent in price, and a bag of sugar more than 48 percent.
Prices are higher again, in the Aude. The same basket of commonly purchased groceries cost €104.31 in January - a rise of €2.21 in a month, and 15.56 percent year on year. Flour prices jumped 45.47 percent, and sugar 44.48 percent, the study showed.
Like Paris and Île-de-France, prices are rising most rapidly in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.
In Bouches-du-Rhône, the basket of goods cost €112.24 in January, up €2.38 in a month, and 16.94 percent year on year - with flour up 44.06 percent in 12 months, and sugar 42.69 percent.
Over in the neighbouring Alpes-Maritimes, meanwhile, the basket cost €112.03 in January, up €2.37 since December, and 16.17 percent in a year. A kilo of flour has risen 41.69 percent in price year on year, while sugar has risen 41.04 percent.
In the Alpine department of Haute-Savoie, meanwhile, the same purchase cost €109.42 in January - up €2.32 in a month, and 15.91 percent in 12 months. The cost of sugar rose 45.65 percent per kilogramme, and flour 41.55 percent.
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Inflation is hitting everyone in the pocket in France. According to the latest official figures, France’s annual inflation rate rose to 6 percent in January 2023, from 5.9 percent in December, early estimates have showed.
But the increase in prices is not uniform, with food prices rising at a much faster rate, and at different speeds across the country, a new study by France Info has revealed.
According to a regular study by market researcher Nielsen IQ, a basket of 37 commonly purchased items - including flour, sugar, bread, spaghetti, tuna, rice, olive oil, UHT milk, eggs, yoghurt, frozen burgers and shower gel - cost, on average €104.31 in France in January, an increase of €2.21 in just a month, and 15.6 percent in 12 months.
But the increase, it noted, was not uniform, with noticeable differences depending on where people live. Unsurprisingly, Paris and Île de France are among the most expensive areas, while the western département of Vendée, in Pays de la Loire, was the least expensive - and the gap is widening.
In Paris, the cost of that basket of 37 regularly purchased products has risen 16.39 percent in a year. An “economy” 1kg bag of flour has jumped 36.2 percent over the same period, while a 1kg bag of sugar has risen 29.81 percent, according to figures collected by NielsenIQ.
The full basket of goods would set a shopper in Paris back an average of €124.44 at the end of January 2023 - up €2.64 since December 2022 and noticeably higher than the nationwide average.
The same basket of goods in the Vendée, however, costs - on average - just €99.30 in January. Though that too is an increase of €2.10 compared to December 2022, the study found it to be the cheapest département in the country. And the cost of a 1kg economy bag of flour has risen nearly 41 percent year-on-year; while a bag of sugar has jumped more than 50 percent.
Over in Calvados in Normandy, it cost €103.68, a rise of €2.20 in a month, and 16.11 percent year-on-year. The cost of that bag of sugar has jumped 47.7 percent in 12 months, while flour is 39.06 percent more expensive per kilogramme.
The same products would have set a consumer back €102.43 in Morbihan, southern Brittany - up €2.17 since December, with the price of a kilo of flour increasing 41.69 percent year on year, while sugar jumped 47.74 percent.
Meanwhile, in central départment of Cher, that basket cost €104.73 in January, NielsenIQ found, up €2.22 in a month, and 16.09 percent in a year. A kilo of sugar was 45.98 percent more expensive in January 2023 than in January 2022, and flour had risen 38.31 percent.
Further south, in the Dordogne, the average price of the 37-product basket of goods was €102.12 in January, an increase of €2.16 in a month, and a total year-on-year rise of 15.28 percent. A cost of a bag of sugar rose 49.76 percent, and a bag of flour 40.92 percent
It’s more expensive in Pyrénées-Atlantiques, where the same basket cost €103.37, according to NielsenIQ, up €2.19 since December 2022, and 15.3 percent year on year. A bag of flour has risen a shade under 40 percent in price, and a bag of sugar more than 48 percent.
Prices are higher again, in the Aude. The same basket of commonly purchased groceries cost €104.31 in January - a rise of €2.21 in a month, and 15.56 percent year on year. Flour prices jumped 45.47 percent, and sugar 44.48 percent, the study showed.
Like Paris and Île-de-France, prices are rising most rapidly in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.
In Bouches-du-Rhône, the basket of goods cost €112.24 in January, up €2.38 in a month, and 16.94 percent year on year - with flour up 44.06 percent in 12 months, and sugar 42.69 percent.
Over in the neighbouring Alpes-Maritimes, meanwhile, the basket cost €112.03 in January, up €2.37 since December, and 16.17 percent in a year. A kilo of flour has risen 41.69 percent in price year on year, while sugar has risen 41.04 percent.
In the Alpine department of Haute-Savoie, meanwhile, the same purchase cost €109.42 in January - up €2.32 in a month, and 15.91 percent in 12 months. The cost of sugar rose 45.65 percent per kilogramme, and flour 41.55 percent.
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