Which Grocery Items Will See the Biggest Price Spikes in Early 2027?
Notice your grocery bill increasing? Well, according to the USDA Economic Research Service’s 2026 Food Price Outlook, that trend isn’t going away. The report, which incorporated the August 2026 Consumer Price Index (a measure of economy-wide inflation), estimated that all food prices will increase by approximately 2.9% by the end of 2026 as compared to the 2025 calendar year (which itself rose by 2.9% over 2024).
As for 2027, the USDA forecasts food prices will increase by another 2% — however that projection is an average, and some items will increase with more volatility than others.
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Which grocery items will be the worst offenders in the new year? Based on the prices rising fastest in 2026 — which are expected to remain high in early 2027 — a few categories “are forecast to grow faster than their 20-year historical average rate of growth.” Here are five.
1. Beef and Veal
Prices are forecast to rise 9.4% throughout the 2026 calendar year. Tight cattle supplies have kept production low, therefore driving up demand.
2. Fresh Fruits
Prices are forecast to rise 2.5% throughout the 2026 calendar year. Blueberries and Bartlett pears see the largest spike.
3. Fresh Vegetables
Prices are forecast to rise 5.7% throughout the 2026 calendar year. Tomatoes and lettuce account for the steepest increases.
4. Sugar and Sweets
Prices are forecast to rise 6.6% throughout the 2026 calendar year. This is driven largely by candy and chewing gum.
5. Nonalcoholic Beverages
Prices are forecast to rise 4.2% throughout the 2026 calendar year. Coffee and tea see the steepest increase.
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