Fresh produce posts deflation in November CPI report

Fresh fruits and vegetables recorded -0.2 percent inflation from November 2024 to 2025, compared to a 2.6 percent rise for overall food, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index, released today.

Fresh fruits saw -0.6 inflation in November year-over-year. By commodity, apples were up 2.1 percent, bananas were up 6.7, and citrus was down 4.3 percent.

Fresh vegetables posted 0.3 percent inflation in November year-over-year. By commodity, potatoes saw 3.7 percent deflation, and tomatoes were also down 1.4 percent. Lettuce was up 5.7 percent year-over-year.

Month-over-month figures are not available because of the government shutdown this fall.

BLS released the following from its monthly Consumer Price Index report on December 18, 2025:

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX – NOVEMBER 2025

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.2 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis over the 2 months from September 2025 to November 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 2.7 percent before seasonal adjustment. BLS did not collect survey data for October 2025 due to a lapse in appropriations.

The seasonally adjusted index for all items less food and energy rose 0.2 percent over the 2 months ending in November. From September to November, the index for shelter increased 0.2 percent. The energy index rose 1.1 percent over the same 2-month period and the food index increased 0.1 percent. Other indexes which increased over the 2 months ending in November include household furnishings and operations, communication, and personal care. In contrast, the indexes for lodging away from home, recreation, and apparel decreased over the same 2-month period.

The all items index rose 2.7 percent for the 12 months ending November, after rising 3.0 percent over the 12 months ending September. The all items less food and energy index rose 2.6 percent over the last 12 months. The energy index increased 4.2 percent for the 12 months ending November. The food index increased 2.6 percent over the last year.

BLS did not collect survey data for October 2025 due to a lapse in appropriations. BLS was unable to retroactively collect these data. For a few indexes, BLS uses nonsurvey data sources instead of survey data to make the index calculations. BLS was able to retroactively acquire most of the nonsurvey data for October. CPI data collection resumed on November 14, 2025.

Food

The index for food increased 2.6 percent over the last year. The index for food at home rose 1.9 percent over the 12 months ending in November. The meats, poultry, fish, and eggs index rose 4.7 percent over the last 12 months. The index for nonalcoholic beverages increased 4.3 percent over the same period and the index for other food at home rose 1.3 percent. The cereals and bakery products index increased 1.9 percent over the 12 months ending in November and the fruits and vegetables index rose 0.1 percent over the year. In contrast, the index for dairy and related products decreased 1.6 percent over the same period.

The food away from home index rose 3.7 percent over the last year. The index for full service meals rose 4.3 percent and the index for limited service meals rose 3.0 percent over the same period.