Food Prices in Czechia Have Risen by 26% in Three Years

Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices in Czechia have surged by 26.4% over the past three years, aligning closely with the EU average of 26.9%.

While this increase is substantial, food prices have also climbed sharply across the European Union. In terms of the pace of price hikes, Czechia ranks 13th among EU nations.

However, recent data from Eurostat suggests that in short-term comparisons—year-on-year or month-to-month—the situation in Czechia is less favorable.

“The most relevant comparison is the three-year period from January 2022 to January 2024, as food prices began to spike dramatically in early 2022,” said Miroslav Novák, an analyst at Akcenta.

Czechia Follows EU Trend, But Some Items Are Cheaper Abroad

Novák notes that in this three-year perspective, Czechia does not stand out negatively, despite the 26.4% price surge. In fact, price growth in neighboring countries has been even higher: Slovakia saw a 37.1% increase, Poland 33.9%, and Germany 27.1%.

However, some widely recognized products remain cheaper abroad. Items like Nutella, or Pilsner Urquell beer, often cost less in Germany than in Czechia. When considering salaries and purchasing power, German consumers pay comparatively lower prices for food.

The steepest three-year increase was recorded in Hungary, where food and beverage prices soared by nearly 57%. At the other end of the spectrum, Finland had the lowest increase at just 18%.

Food Prices Have Stabilized – But Monthly Trends Are Concerning

“The idea that food is disproportionately expensive in Czechia, or that prices here are rising much faster than in neighboring countries, is more of an illusion than reality,” Novák added. “Sharp price hikes have affected all EU nations, regardless of whether they use the euro or not.”

From 2022 to 2023, Czech food prices rose faster than the EU average, but after peaking, growth slowed. By summer 2024, prices even recorded a slight year-on-year decline. A study by Cyrrus confirmed that over a five-year span, Czechia’s food price growth remained in line with the European average.

Czechia Sees Highest Monthly Food Price Increase in the EU

Despite this longer-term stabilization, the latest annual comparison is less optimistic. Between January 2023 and January 2024, food prices in Czechia rose by 4.8%, the fifth-highest increase among EU countries.

Even more striking, Czechia recorded the highest month-on-month food price increase in the EU this January, at 3.2%. The Eurozone average was only 0.5%.

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