Meat prices: sharpest rise since 2001
Consumers paid 3.8 percent more for their meat in 2017 compared to the previous year. Prices at meat producers, e.g. slaughterhouses and boning plants, rose as well. Over the past two decades, meat prices in the retail sector have risen by 2 percent annually on average. Last year, retail meat prices surged at twice this average rate. In 2001, prices rose by almost 10 percent. These price hikes were possibly connected with the outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease that year.
Retail food prices went up by 2.7 percent in 2017. Altogether, consumers paid 1.4 percent more for their daily groceries, clothing, petrol, rent and insurance premiums.
Food products (%) | Meat (%) | |
---|---|---|
1997 | 1.1 | 2.2 |
1998 | 2.4 | 1.6 |
1999 | 1.8 | 0 |
2000 | 0 | 1.2 |
2001 | 7.5 | 9.7 |
2002 | 3.6 | 1 |
2003 | 1.3 | 0.5 |
2004 | -3 | -1.3 |
2005 | -1.2 | 0.5 |
2006 | 1.5 | 1 |
2007 | 0.9 | -0.4 |
2008 | 5.7 | 3.2 |
2009 | 1.1 | 2.4 |
2010 | 0 | -1 |
2011 | 1.7 | 2.4 |
2012 | 1.9 | 2.9 |
2013 | 2.5 | 2.7 |
2014 | -0.1 | 0.1 |
2015 | 0.5 | -0.8 |
2016 | 0.8 | 0.4 |
2017 | 2.7 | 3.8 |
Prices of poultry meat rose most rapidly in 2017
Of all meat purchased by consumers, poultry saw the steepest price rise in 2017. Processed meats (i.e. smoked, dried or salted) as well as pork rose slightly less, but still more rapidly than average. Other types of meat such as rabbit and wild boar (game) saw relatively the smallest price increase.
Meat price development, 2016-2017 (%) Poultry meat 4.7 Pork 4.2 Processed meat 4.2 Other meat preparations, e.g. canned meat 3.5 Sheep meat and goat meat 3.3 Beef and veal 2.7 Other meat, e.g. rabbit and wild boar 1.6 Meat, total 3.8
Consumer spending most on processed meats
Processed meat accounted for nearly 30 percent of all consumer meat purchases in 2017. The next largest share was held by pork and other meat preparations, including canned meat and half-and-half minced meat. Sheep meat and goat meat represented 1.2 percent of all meat purchases in shops.
Meat consumption 2017 | |
---|---|
Pork | 21.8 |
Other meat preparations, e.g. canned meat | 18.7 |
Beef and veal | 15.7 |
Poultry meat | 12.4 |
Game (e.g. rabbit, wild boar) | 1.4 |
Sheep meat and goat meat | 1.2 |
Processed meat | 28.9 |
Mainly rabbit and wild boar more expensive in past decade
Between 2007 and 2017, the steepest price rise (24 percent) was in game such as rabbit and wild boar, followed by poultry meat. During this period, pork prices rose by almost 10 percent. In 2017, consumer prices of meat were 17 percent up on ten years previously. In the same period, consumers had to pay 18 percent more for their food shopping basket.
Price development, 2007-2017 (%) Game (e.g. rabbit, wild boar) 23.8 Poultry meat 22 Beef and veal 20.1 Processed meat 20.1 Other meat preparations, e.g. canned meat 17.1 Pork 9.6 Meat, total 17.3 Food products 18.1
Dutch price rise steeper than in eurozone
The meat price increase in the Netherlands in 2017 was one of the highest in the eurozone. Only Slovakia recorded a higher meat price increase. In Belgium and Germany, the increase was half that of the Netherlands at the most. Prices even went down in Ireland, Cyprus, Finland and Greece. The Netherlands saw relatively the sharpest price rise in poultry meat compared to the rest of the eurozone.
Price development 2016-2017 (%) Price development 2016-2017 (%)_2 Slovakia 4.4 Luxembourg 3.8 Netherlands 3.8 Latvia 3.4 Lithuania 3.2 Slovenia 3 Estonia 2.4 Portugal 2.2 Germany 2 Austria 1.6 Eurozone 1.3 France 1.1 Italy 1 Spain 0.9 Malta 0.9 Belgium 0.8 Greece -1.1 Ireland -1.2 Cyprus -1.2 Finland -1.2
In 2017, the Netherlands ranked among the top 5 of eurozone countries where consumers spent relatively the smallest amount on meat. Slightly over 21 percent of total retail food consumption of food was on meat products. Belgian consumers spent relatively the highest share at close to 28 percent.
Sources
- StatLine - Consumer prices; price index 2015=100
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