New Zealand food prices rise slows to 4.1 pct annually

WELLINGTON, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Food prices in New Zealand rose 4.1 percent in the 12 months to September 2025, marking the smallest annual increase since April this year, Stats NZ reported Thursday.

The grocery food group contributed most to the rise, up 3.9 percent annually, according to a statement of the statistics department.

Key staples saw significant annual price hikes: white bread increased 49.6 percent; cheese rose 31.4 percent; butter climbed 28.9 percent; and milk was up 15.1 percent, Stats NZ said.

Vegetables also increased by 5.2 percent annually, with cabbage nearly doubling in price from September 2024 to September 2025, the highest in nearly three years, and lettuce was up 55 percent, it said.

"All five food groups continue to grow annually, but the rate of increase for overall food prices has slowed this month," said Stats NZ prices and deflators spokesperson Nicola Growden.

However, monthly food prices fell 0.4 percent in September compared with August, driven by price drops in vegetables and chocolate, marking the first monthly decline since February 2025, statistics show. Enditem