Food prices jumped 0.68% in April compared with the previous month — the largest month-to-month inflation bump since August 2022, according to the Consumer Price Index, a measure of inflation.
Food inflation has been growing since the COVID-19 pandemic, which shocked supply chains, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which affected oil prices, in early 2022. After a massive uptick, food inflation began to ease during the last two years of the Biden administration.
Between January 2023 and December 2024, “food at home” prices — grocery prices, essentially — on the Consumer Price Index increased 2.68%.
Since Trump regained office in January 2025, food inflation has increased 3.16%.
Trump ran on a platform to “defeat inflation,” but, as food prices climbed, he said affordability was a “con job.”
Part of the reason for higher food prices is the war Trump started with Iran, which predictably closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route. The war has led to high gas prices across the country, and food prices have followed suit.
Recently, Trump was asked whether “Americans’ financial situations” affected his decision-making when it came to ending the war in Iran, according to NBC News.
“Not even a little bit,” Trump replied.
Trump said the “only thing that matters” is stopping Iran from having a nuclear weapon. “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation,” he added. “I don’t think about anybody.”
Last summer, before the latest price jumps, a majority of respondents told an Associated Press survey that high food prices were a source of major stress. About 14% of respondents also reported using “buy now, pay later” options — where consumers pay for products in installments — to buy groceries.
Some people have responded by skipping meals, according to CNN.
Data Harvest (formerly Graphic of the Week) is Investigate Midwest’s way of making complex agricultural data easy to understand. Through engaging graphics, charts, and maps, we break down key trends to help readers quickly grasp the forces shaping farming, food systems, and rural communities. Want us to explore other data trends? Let us know here.
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