Cost of living crisis: 15 shopping basket items with the biggest price rises as food inflation hits 14.8%

Typical shopping basket items like milk, cheese and eggs have soared in price with inflation on food and non-alcoholic drinks hitting the highest rate in over 40 years, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) Consumer Prices Index (CPI) reveals.

The figures published today (19 October) show inflation hit 10.1% last month, the same rate it reached in July 2022, but it’s the supermarket aisle that’s seeing some of the biggest increases in costs. Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices have surged with inflation figures hitting an eyewatering 14.5% in the 12 months to September 2022 –  up from 13.1% in August and the biggest increase since April 1980. For food products alone, inflation stood at 14.8%.

The ONS says the annual rate of inflation for food and non-alcoholic beverages has continued to rise for the last 14 consecutive months, from negative 0.6% in July 2021 (deflation). Some items have been much harder hit than others and the ONS figures show typical shopping basket items have been the worst affected.

The figures come as Liz Truss’ leadership comes under increasing pressure after a number of humiliating mini-budget u-turns. The impact of the political flipflopping is having major repercussions on households up and down the country amid the cost of living crisis and yesterday (18 October) polling data released by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) found that one in seven people were skipping meals or going without food because of the cost of living crisis.

Which supermarket items have been hardest hit by inflation in the last month? Here we reveal the 15 food and non-alcoholic drinks that were the worst hit by inflation in September.