The shopping basket becomes 41% more expensive in eight years in Spain
Legumes and eggs have doubled their price since 2018, according to an analysis by elespañol.com released by the Banco de Alimentos de Córdoba. Wages have risen less than general inflation.
Redacción · Published on September 19, 2026
The price of food has risen by 41% in Spain over the last eight years, according to an article from elespañol.com sent to this portal by the Banco de Alimentos de Córdoba. The increase clearly exceeds that of average wages, which over the same period have grown by 23%, according to data from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) cited in the report.
Two basic products are the ones that have become most expensive: legumes, with an increase of 105%, and eggs, with 91%. In both cases the price has practically doubled.
Other everyday food items also show notable increases. Fruit juices and chocolates and cocoa have risen by 73.4%, potatoes by 58.3%, whole milk by 53.3%, and sugar by 51.6%. Bread, one of the most basic products, has become 34.8% more expensive, below the average for food but above the wage increase.
Overall inflation in Spain has risen by 27.3% since 2018, according to the report. Increases are also noted in other areas: hospitality and tourism have become 36.7% more expensive, transport 28.8%, and housing, along with fuel and electricity, 28%.
Recent months and forecasts
In August, prices rose by 4.3% compared to the previous year, the highest figure since 2023, according to the text, which attributes this uptick to the impact of the war in Iran on the price of hydrocarbons. It is the fifth month in a row in which inflation has grown above 3%.
According to the data included in the article, only three countries in the European Union had higher inflation than Spain in August: Lithuania, Cyprus and Bulgaria.
The research foundation Funcas forecasts, as stated in the report, that September inflation will rise to nearly 5% and will not fall below 4% for the rest of the year. That forecast assumes that the Government will again lower the tax on hydrocarbons by 0.2 euros per liter, a measure which the report itself notes has not yet been decided. Funcas calculates that average inflation for 2026 could stand at 3.6%, although if the price of oil remained above 100 dollars per barrel, the average would rise to 3.8%.
The employers' association CEOE, for its part, considers the August uptick to be "transitory" and maintains its forecast of an average annual inflation of 3.4%, according to the article.
Two basic products are the ones that have become most expensive: legumes, with an increase of 105%, and eggs, with 91%. In both cases the price has practically doubled.
Other everyday food items also show notable increases. Fruit juices and chocolates and cocoa have risen by 73.4%, potatoes by 58.3%, whole milk by 53.3%, and sugar by 51.6%. Bread, one of the most basic products, has become 34.8% more expensive, below the average for food but above the wage increase.
Overall inflation in Spain has risen by 27.3% since 2018, according to the report. Increases are also noted in other areas: hospitality and tourism have become 36.7% more expensive, transport 28.8%, and housing, along with fuel and electricity, 28%.
Recent months and forecasts
In August, prices rose by 4.3% compared to the previous year, the highest figure since 2023, according to the text, which attributes this uptick to the impact of the war in Iran on the price of hydrocarbons. It is the fifth month in a row in which inflation has grown above 3%.
According to the data included in the article, only three countries in the European Union had higher inflation than Spain in August: Lithuania, Cyprus and Bulgaria.
The research foundation Funcas forecasts, as stated in the report, that September inflation will rise to nearly 5% and will not fall below 4% for the rest of the year. That forecast assumes that the Government will again lower the tax on hydrocarbons by 0.2 euros per liter, a measure which the report itself notes has not yet been decided. Funcas calculates that average inflation for 2026 could stand at 3.6%, although if the price of oil remained above 100 dollars per barrel, the average would rise to 3.8%.
The employers' association CEOE, for its part, considers the August uptick to be "transitory" and maintains its forecast of an average annual inflation of 3.4%, according to the article.