Food Prices in Germany: A Growing Concern for the Left Party
The Left Party will focus on the rising prices of food in the ongoing election campaign, according to a response from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture to a question from Bundestag member Caren Lay (Left Party). Over the past ten years, prices of food have nearly increased by 50 percent.
Those who purchased meat products or produce in 2024 paid almost one and a half times more than in 2014. The consumer price index for food rose by nearly a third between 2020 and 2024, equivalent to an annual inflation rate of 7.34 percent.
Prices of vegetables, meat and fish rose by approximately 30 percent between 2020 and 2024. The federal government attributed the price explosion, particularly for the years 2022 and 2023, to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The price surge is putting a strain on many people’s finances, said Lay to the “Spiegel”. “I find it scandalous that in one of the richest countries in the world, the lines at the checkout counters are getting longer and longer.” The opposition politician suggests a state food price control and the abolition of the value-added tax for staple foods. According to Lay, this could relieve millions of people.