Most Americans Are Stressed About Grocery Costs — As Food Prices Climb

Forbes

2 hours ago

Almost 90% of American adults say they're stressed about the cost of groceries, a new poll out Monday shows, as the price of food rises and items like poultry, ground beef and eggs see the biggest cost jumps.
A customer shops at an H-E-B grocery store on February 12, 2025 in Austin, Texas. Getty Images
More than half of Americans (53%) see grocery prices as a major source of stress and another 33% see it as a minor source of stress, according to a new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
More people were concerned about grocery prices than any other financial concern brought up in the poll, but more than half of respondents also said they were at least somewhat stressed about their salaries, the cost of housing, the amount of money they have saved, their credit card debt and the cost of health care.
The Consumer Price Index shows the price of food has risen 3% in the last 12 months—groceries have risen 2.4% while dining out is 3.8% costlier than it was 12 months ago.
From June 2024 to June 2025, groceries got more expensive in every category tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics: meats, poultry, fish and eggs rose in price by 5.6% (egg prices alone rose 27.3%); nonalcoholic beverages are 4.4% more expensive; fruits and vegetables rose in price by 0.7%; and both cereals and bakery products and the index for dairy products rose 0.9%.
At 3%, the cost of food is rising faster than the overall inflation rate as measured by the Consumer Price Index, at 2.7%.
After groceries, the price of housing had the highest number of people reporting it as a major stressor in Monday's poll (47%), followed by the amount of money saved (43%), salary (43%) and the cost of health care (42%).
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81 cents. That's how much the price of chicken breast increased, per pound, from July 2024 to July 2025, according to NBC News, making it the largest price hike among the six staple items tracked by the outlet. The cost of ground beef increased 67 cents per pound, while eggs grew 64 cents more expensive per dozen.
While food prices are up despite President Donald Trump's campaign promise to "immediately bring prices down,' 3% is nowhere near the double-digit jumps earlier in the decade. Food inflation was 10.4% in 2022 and 6.3% in 2021. This year is so far slightly above, but largely in line, with price increases in 2023 (2.7%) and 2024 (2.5%). Are Tariffs Going To Make Groceries More Expensive?
Probably. The Budget Lab at Yale estimates that tariff price increases will raise food costs by about another 3%. Fresh produce could initially jump in price by almost 7% before stabilizing long-term at 3.6% higher, and processed rice is expected to rise in price by 10.2% in the long term. Other items expected to cost more include beverages, cereal and grains, sugar, meat and dairy products, Yale said. Grocery products imported from other countries, like bananas, beer, wine and cheese, will face additional tariffs. In 2024, the U.S. imported about $221 billion in food products, 62% of which came from five countries: Mexico, Canada, the EU, Brazil and China, according to the Tax Foundation. Trump has agreed to pause higher tariffs on Mexico for 90 days, and has agreed to a 15% tariff on goods from the EU. The White House said Canada will face a 35% tariff rate—up from an earlier 25%—for goods not covered under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Trump has threatened a 50% tariff on Brazil due to the ongoing criminal prosecution of his ally and the country's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, and the average tariff on Chinese exports is currently 55%. Further Reading Forbes Advisor Food Prices Rise Again: How To Save On Groceries And Dining Out In 2025 Forbes Rising Prices Are Changing The Way Americans Eat—Here's What's Next By Stephanie Gravalese Forbes Trump Announces New Global Tariff Rates—As He Pushes Back Start Date Again By Siladitya Ray