Avocados almost twice as expensive as last year

  • 15/01/2018
Avocados have almost doubled in price since December 2016, according to new data released by Statistics NZ.
Avocados have almost doubled in price since December 2016, according to new data released by Statistics NZ. Photo credit: Getty

In sad news for millennials, avocados now cost nearly twice as much as they did a year ago.

The trendy fruit has shot up 88 percent in price since December 2016, with a 200g avocado now setting Kiwi consumers back $2.31 - a massive increase compared with $1.23 just one year prior.

Statistics NZ today released their food price data for December 2017, and it's not looking good for vegetarians. Fruit and vegetables are, on average, 4.5 percent more expensive than they were at the end of 2016, despite an overall fall in price over the final month of 2017.

"Avocados are usually at their cheapest this time of year, but prices are still relatively high this December," Statistics NZ prices manager Matthew Haigh said in a statement.

Total food prices were down 0.8 percent by the end of 2017.

Butter prices dropped 4.9 percent to an average of $5.46 per 500g block in December 2017. This was 30c less than November's average price of $5.74 and in keeping with the trend of falling butter prices that began in October 2017.

New Zealanders with a sweet tooth are in luck - chocolate bars sold in December 2017 were 8.4 percent cheaper than the previous month, falling to $1.44 for a 50g bar.

In a trend that began in early 2013, breads and cereal prices have fallen 1.1 percent each year. By December 2017, a 700g loaf of wholemeal bread cost just $3.10 on average, compared with $3.75 in January 2013.

"Global wheat prices have been declining since late 2012 and from 2014, we saw a number of retailers holding their prices for cheapest available white bread fixed at $1," said Mr Haigh.

The increased price of avocados, combined with lower-cost bread, means 20-somethings should still just be able to afford their beloved avocado toast.

Newshub.