UK inflation rate: April price rises for every type of product – including food, energy and clothes

UK inflation has risen to a record high, with the cost of living 9% higher on average in April compared to a year ago.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose to 9% last month, the highest figure since current records began in January 1989.

But the Institute for Fiscal Studies, a non-governmental research body, said its own calculations showed the poorest households had seen inflation rates of 10.9%, compared to 7.9% for the richest households.

Within the ONS figures, some types of goods and services saw prices rise far faster than average – including a year-on year increase of 113.9% for one type of household fuel.

Two dozen other categories of goods and services saw price rises of above 10%.

Energy was the worst affected area overall, with prices of electricity, gas and other fuels up an enormous 69.6% collectively compared to last April, as the energy price cap change made its effects felt for the first time

Here we reveal the price rises for every type of goods and services measured by the ONS.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages

The price of food rose by 6.7% this April compared to last April, up 0.9 percentage points compared to March when it was 5.8%, while non-alcoholic beverages rose by 6.8%, up 0.1 percentage points.

Oils and fats saw the highest increase at 14.5%, but an umbrella miscellaneous category that includes sauces, condiments, salts and spices as well as ready-made meals rose by 10.6%.

NationalWorld’s price tracker of supermarket value range products also found steep price hikes for ready meals last month.

Below are all the price rises for food and non-alcoholic drinks categories.

Alcoholic beverages and tobacco

Alcoholic drinks did not see as steep price rises as non-alcoholic ones, with inflation at 1.2% in April – a drop of 1.3 percentage points compared to March. Wine had the highest price rises at 1.8%.

Tobacco prices were up by 7.8%, with ‘other tobacco products’ excluding cigarettes and cigars up by 10%.

The price changes for every type of product are below. Only goods intended to be consumed at home are included – the price of a pint for instance is not included.

Clothing and footwear

Inflation for clothing was at 8.4% in April, while footwear prices were up 7.7%. This includes the costs of repairing items and, in the case of clothing, hiring and cleaning.

The biggest price rises were for children’s and infant’s footwear, at 11%.

All the price rises are listed in the table below.

Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels

Prices in this wide-reaching category of goods and services were up by 19.2% in April.

The CPI does not measure mortgage costs for owner-occupiers or landlords.

By far and away the biggest price rise in this category was for liquid fuels such as heating oil, which were up by 113.9%. Next was gas prices, which were up 95.5% year-on-year.

All the price rises are listed below.

Furniture, household equipment and maintenance

Inflation was at 10.5% in April for this category of goods and services.

Furniture and furnishings saw the biggest price rises at 16.3%, although that was down by 0.5 percentage points on March.

Next highest was for glassware, crystalware, ceramicware and chinaware, at 12.5%.

All the price rises can be compared below.

Health

This category encompasses the cost of medicines and pharmaceutical products as well as hospital services. In the UK, hospital services would include private healthcare providers as well as nursing homes for elderly or disabled people.

Inflation in this category was highest for hospital services, at 5.8%. Overall, inflation for health was at a below average 2.3%.

Check how each type of good and service compares below.

Transport

Overall, inflation for transport goods and services was at 13.5% in April, up by 0.1 percentage point from 13.4% in March.

Fuels and lubricants for personal transport equipment had the sharpest price rises, at 31.4% year-on-year. The price of railway transport (including trams and underground trains) also rose, by 4.5%.

All the price rises can be compared below.

Communication

This category covers postal services as well as telecommunications equipment and services.

Overall inflation was at 2.8%, with ‘fixed telephone equipment’ the worst affected sub-category, at 6.4%. In comparison prices for ‘mobile telephone equipment’ were down by 8.3% year-on-year.

Check how each type of good and service compares below.

Recreation and culture

‘Recording media’ – which includes CDs and records, blank cassettes and CDs, as well as supplies for photography and cinematography like film and flashbulbs – had the biggest price rises in this category, with inflation at 13.4%.

Next highest was games, toys and hobbies.

Overall inflation for recreation and culture goods and services was at 5.9%.

All the price rises are listed below.

Education

This category covers educational services – not goods, so books and stationary are not included.

The CPI only measures prices for goods and services purchased by consumers, so inflation here is not reflective of the cost of delivering state-funded education.

There are only two sub-categories – pre-primary, primary and secondary education, where inflation was at 3.3%, and tertiary education, where it stood at 5.1%.

It does not include childcare.

Restaurants and hotels

Overall prices for restaurant and hotel-related goods and services in April were 7.9% more expensive than a year previously.

NationalWorld has previously looked at how hospitality businesses report that they are passing on their increased costs to consumers through price rises.

Prices for ‘holiday centres, camping sites, youth hostels and similar accommodation services’ saw the biggest increase in April, up by 22.9% year-on-year.

All the price rises can be compared below.

Miscellaneous goods and services

This large umbrella category covers hairdressers and appliances for personal care, including electrical items like hairdryers and curlers and non-electric items like razors and nail files; jewellery and watches; child care services; items for babies like pushchairs; retirement homes and funerals; and insurance and financial services.

House contents insurance saw the greatest rate of inflation, with prices up 23.5%.

Check how each type of good and service compares below.