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TELL US: How are you affected by persistent high food prices in Denmark?

Food prices are an average of 22 percent higher than they were at the start of 2022, although some products have seen less of an increase in cost than others. Has this affected your daily life?

Published: 3 September 2024 15:48 CEST
Updated: 5 September 2024 14:25 CEST

TELL US: How are you affected by persistent high food prices in Denmark?

Have food prices affected the contents of your refrigerator? File photo: Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix

Food is, in general, a lot more expensive in Denmark than it used to be. However, wages have also increased or are scheduled to increase in the coming years, in response to the inflation that hit the country in 2022.

Meanwhile, some food products have proved more resistant to price rises than others.

READ ALSO: IN CHARTS: Which foods in Denmark have gone up in price the least?

We’d like to know how the situation has affected you. Do you eat differently now compared to when food was less costly? Do you avoid certain items? Do you have less disposable income or do you feel unaffected?

Take a look at the survey below and let us know what you think. If the survey doesn’t display in your browser, CLICK HERE.

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IN CHARTS: Which foods in Denmark have gone up in price the least?

The cost of food products in Denmark are now around 22 percent higher on average than they were at the beginning of 2022, when the country was hit by inflation related to high energy prices and the war in Ukraine.

Some products have been affected more than others. Sugar, butter, chocolate and orange juice are also among products whose prices have skyrocketed by as much as 50 percent over the last two and a half years.

Although inflation in Denmark is now close to what is considered a stable and healthy 2 percent, and the economy considered to be in good shape, foods are not expected to return to pre-crisis levels.

READ ALSO: Why food prices in Denmark are higher than ever and unlikely to return to old levels

In the meantime, Denmark’s labour market model has ensured wage rises for many, helping consumers to retain “purchasing power” and afford the higher prices on food.

Nevertheless, many are still forced to economise.

The national statistics agency, Statistics Denmark, keeps data on food prices and inflation in it Forbrugerindeks database, which it publishes online.

This data is organised into various food categories, and can be organised to display the relative change in cost in certain food categories compared to a year ago.

We’ve used this data to compile the following charts, which show how certain food prices trended between July 2023 and July 2024. You should therefore keep in mind that the comparisons are not with pre-inflation prices. Instead, they are a look at how prices have developed since inflation has been relatively stable.

An inflation rate of 2 percent means that, on average, products will be 2 percent more expensive than they were a year ago. But the Forbrugerindeks data shows this varies depending on the type of product.

For staple, carbs-based foods, we can see that rice is more expensive than it was just over a year ago, but pasta, bread and oats are all slightly cheaper.

Meat has gone up in price across the board since last year, with the exception of poultry. Pork is the highest riser and the only one above the 2 percent 'healthy' rate of inflation. Fresh fish is marginally cheaper than it was in 2023.

READ ALSO: Why can't you get fresh fish in supermarkets in Denmark?

Looking at dairy and fat products, the obvious standout is olive oil, which has shot up in price by 50 percent compared to last summer and skews the dimensions of the chart. Other oil types have not seen the same trend, though. Milk is notably more costly than it was a year ago but not yoghurt and cheese, while eggs and butter have recovered from high prices in the summer of 2023.

If you want to save money on fruit and vegetables, you might need to start drinking (or drink more) smoothies, because frozen fruit is the only sub-category to have fallen in price since last year. However, fresh fruit and jams are both within the 2 percent inflation level. Potatoes and vegetables are now more expensive than in summer 2023.

It may not come as a surprise that, of the selected luxury items below, chocolate has gone up the most in price over the last year. Other types of sweets (candy) and beer are not far behind.

The good news is that coffee has not got more expensive since last summer -- this goes somewhat against expectations that supplies of coffee to Denmark could cause higher prices in future. If you want to save money in this area, though, you might want to consider switching to tea.

Did you find this look at food price data helpful? Is there anything else you'd like us to look at? Let us know in the comments.

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