Food prices are lower than many voters believe, data shows

Despite widespread perception that groceries are unaffordable, historical and recent data reveal that food costs now represent a smaller share of household budgets than in past decades.

Public anxiety about grocery costs is prompting ideas such as a city-run supermarket chain and calls for the president to shift foreign policy focus toward food affordability. Yet historical figures show a steady decline in the proportion of income spent on food, from 42% in 1901 to 9.7% in 2026, according to the Agriculture Department. Excluding restaurant spending, the grocery share is about 7.9%, and savvy shoppers can likely spend less.

Compared with other nations, Americans allocate a smaller income share to food, and wages have outpaced price increases by roughly 12 percentage points over the past decade. Recent spikes in egg and beef prices stem from avian flu and drought, not government action. Meanwhile, supermarket profit margins remain thin, around 2%, limiting any potential for large price cuts. The piece argues that the current era offers unprecedented food variety and affordability, contrary to the prevailing doom-laden narrative.