FAOSTAT
Food price inflation in South Africa
Annual change in food prices in South Africa in May 2026: +1,9%. Monthly series since 2001, from the national consumer price indices compiled by FAO.
+1,9%food price inflation, year on year
+4,5%overall inflation, same month
188,7food price index (2015 = 100)
+33,6%change in food prices over five years
+21,8%highest annual food inflation since 2000 (October 2002)
Food and overall inflation over ten years
Year-on-year change, month by month
- Food
- All items
- World median, food
A positive gap means food prices rose faster than prices overall.
Year by year
Average of the monthly year-on-year changes
| Year | Food | All items | Gap (percentage points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | +3,3% | +3,2% | +0,1 |
| 2024 | +4,7% | +4,4% | +0,3 |
| 2023 | +10,9% | +6,1% | +4,8 |
| 2022 | +9,3% | +7,0% | +2,2 |
| 2021 | +6,1% | +4,6% | +1,5 |
| 2020 | +4,4% | +3,2% | +1,1 |
| 2019 | +3,6% | +4,1% | -0,5 |
| 2018 | +3,2% | +4,5% | -1,4 |
| 2017 | +6,9% | +5,2% | +1,7 |
| 2016 | +11,6% | +6,6% | +5,0 |
| 2015 | +5,0% | +4,5% | +0,5 |
| 2014 | +8,0% | +6,1% | +1,9 |
| 2013 | +5,7% | +5,8% | -0,1 |
| 2012 | +7,2% | +5,7% | +1,5 |
| 2011 | +7,1% | +5,0% | +2,1 |
| 2010 | +1,2% | +4,1% | -2,9 |
| 2009 | +9,6% | +7,3% | +2,3 |
| 2008 | +15,6% | +9,9% | +5,7 |
| 2007 | +10,0% | +6,2% | +3,8 |
| 2006 | +6,0% | +3,2% | +2,7 |
| 2005 | +1,7% | +2,1% | -0,4 |
| 2004 | +1,4% | -0,7% | +2,1 |
| 2003 | +8,4% | +5,8% | +2,6 |
| 2002 | +17,3% | +9,5% | +7,9 |
| 2001 | +5,4% | +5,7% | -0,4 |
Source: FAOSTAT, Consumer Price Indices (FAO), CC BY 4.0, update of 20 October 2026 · Shelfpedia calculations: overall inflation, yearly averages, gap, five-year change.
FAO. 2026. FAOSTAT: Consumer Price Indices. Accessed on 24 October 2026. https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/CP Licence: CC-BY-4.0.