Butter costs 2.39 EUR today. In 2020, it was 1.29 EUR. That's 85% more for 250 grams of butter. Not a luxury product, not some organic specialty shop. Just butter at the discount supermarket.
35% More Expensive Since 2020
Grocery prices in Germany have risen by an average of 35% since 2020. Not evenly, not by the same amount for everything, but across the board. And unlike electronics or clothing, you can't really wait until next year to buy food.
| Product | Price 2020 (EUR) | Price 2025 (EUR) | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butter (250 g) | 1.29 | 2.39 | +85.3% |
| Olive oil (1 L) | 6.50 | 10.00 | +53.8% |
| Sliced cheese (1 kg) | 8.99 | 13.49 | +50.1% |
| Ground beef (1 kg) | 7.63 | 9.73 | +27.5% |
| Bread & rolls (index) | 100.0 | 135.0 | +35.0% |
Data from consumer surveys and beatvest.
The causes are familiar: higher production costs, rising CO₂ pricing for logistics, labor shortages in agriculture. What's less widely known is that these prices aren't coming back down. Commerzbank forecasts inflation of 2.1 to 2.2% for 2025 and 2026. That means prices keep rising, just slower. Back to 2020 levels? Forget it.
Skimpflation: Same Price, Cheaper Ingredients
Most people know shrinkflation: less product, same packaging. Skimpflation is subtler, and honestly more annoying. The package stays the same, the amount stays the same, but the ingredients get cheaper.
Palm oil instead of sunflower oil. Whey powder instead of whole milk. Artificial flavor instead of real vanilla. The price stays at premium level, but the quality slides. The Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (vzbv), Germany's consumer protection federation, has been systematically documenting this practice since 2024.
The catch: you don't notice at the register. You notice when you eat it. Or you don't notice at all, because you're not comparing the ingredient list with the version from two years ago. That's exactly what manufacturers are counting on.
61% Think the Prices Are Unfair
A representative forsa survey from late 2024 shows: 61% of consumers consider current grocery prices "unfair." Not just "expensive," but unfair. That's an important distinction. Expensive can be justified. Unfair means people believe someone is cashing in.
