Nearly 90% of Americans are worried about grocery prices, with more than half citing them as a major source of stress, according to a recent survey.
In a new poll conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 53% of Americans find grocery prices to be a major source of stress, while another 33% consider it a minor stressor. The survey revealed that grocery prices are the top financial concern among respondents, surpassing worries about salaries, housing costs, savings, credit card debt, and health care expenses.
The Consumer Price Index indicates that food prices have risen by 3% over the past year, with groceries specifically increasing by 2.4% and dining out becoming 3.8% costlier. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, every category of groceries, including meats, poultry, fish, and eggs, saw a price rise of 5.6% from June 2024 to June 2025. Egg prices alone surged by 27.3%, while nonalcoholic beverages increased by 4.4%, and fruits and vegetables rose by 0.7%. Cereals, bakery products, and dairy products each saw a 0.9% price hike.
Overall, food costs are climbing faster than the general inflation rate, currently standing at 2.7% as per the Consumer Price Index. Next to grocery prices, housing costs were identified as a significant source of stress for 47% of respondents, followed by concerns about savings and salary, each at 43%, and health care costs at 42%.
Price increases are not isolated to groceries alone. Data from NBC News highlights that the cost of chicken breast rose by 81 cents per pound from July 2024 to July 2025. Ground beef and eggs saw price increases of 67 cents per pound and 64 cents per dozen, respectively.
Despite President Donald Trump’s earlier promises to reduce price hikes, current food inflation rates of 3% remain below the double-digit increases seen earlier in the decade. For instance, food inflation was recorded at 10.4% in 2022 and 6.3% in 2021. Although the 2025 rate is slightly above the increases noted in 2023 (2.7%) and 2024 (2.5%), it remains largely consistent with previous trends.
Tariffs are likely to further affect grocery prices. The Budget Lab at Yale projects that tariff-related price hikes could boost food costs by another 3%. Initially, fresh produce prices may increase by nearly 7% before stabilizing at a level 3.6% higher than current prices. Long-term price hikes of 10.2% are expected for processed rice.
Other grocery items such as beverages, cereal and grains, sugar, meat, and dairy products could also see price increases due to tariffs. Products imported from countries, including bananas, beer, wine, and cheese, will face additional tariffs. In 2024, the U.S. imported food products worth approximately $221 billion, with 62% sourced from Mexico, Canada, the European Union, Brazil, and China, as reported by the Tax Foundation.
Currently, the U.S. has suspended higher tariffs on Mexico for 90 days and established a 15% tariff on imports from the EU. Canada faces a tariff rate of 35% on items not covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), up from a previous 25%. Additionally, President Trump has threatened a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods amid the ongoing legal proceedings involving his ally and the nation’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro. The average tariff on Chinese exports remains at 55%.
These developments, according to experts, are expected to exert increased pressure on already stressed American consumers.