Grocery Prices - Food at Home
Fats and Oils Price Decrease in April 2026
Fats and Oils prices have changed by -0.2% compared to a year ago, that is, prices are falling, providing relief to households. This is 3.4 percentage points below overall food inflation. For the average household, this saves roughly $0.0/year on fats & oils spending.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) CPI-U | Latest data: April 2026
Annual Change
-0.2%
year-over-year | April 2026
Monthly Change
-0.7%
seasonally adjusted, month-over-month
Overall Food Inflation
+3.2%
all food categories | April 2026
What This Means for Your Wallet
The average U.S. household spends approximately $10.0/month on fats & oils. With prices down -0.2%, that same amount now costs about $10.0/month — $0.0 less per month than a year ago, saving households roughly $0.0/year.
Average monthly spending estimates are based on the latest available BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, expressed in 2025 dollars using food item inflation. Actual amounts vary by household size and location.
Fats and Oils vs. Overall Food Inflation
Overall food inflation is running at +3.2% annually. The price change of Fats and Oils at -0.2% is providing some relief relative to other food costs.
| Category | Annual Change | Monthly Change |
|---|---|---|
| Food at Home | +2.9% | +0.7% |
| Cereals & Bakery Products | +2.6% | +0.1% |
| Meats | +8.8% | +1.8% |
| Beef & Veal | +14.8% | +2.7% |
| Poultry | +0.5% | -0.9% |
| Fish & Seafood | +6.2% | +1.5% |
| Eggs | -39.2% | +1.5% |
| Milk | +0.5% | +1.6% |
| Fresh Fruits | +2.1% | +0.8% |
| Fresh Vegetables | +11.5% | +3.9% |
| Coffee | +18.5% | +2.0% |
| Fats & Oils ◀ | -0.2% | -0.7% |
Why Did Fats and Oils Prices Fall?
Food prices can fall when several forces work in the opposite direction from inflation: bumper crop harvests increase supply and push farm-gate prices down; lower energy costs reduce fertilizer, transportation, and cold-chain expenses; improved supply chains ease logistics bottlenecks built up during prior years; and in some categories, demand softens as consumers trade down or reduce purchases after a period of elevated prices.
The BLS measures fats & oils prices monthly as part of the Consumer Price Index. The annual figure of -0.2% reflects the average price change in April 2026 compared to the same time last year — meaning the same basket of fats & oils costs less now than it did then.
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Data Source
Price data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), updated monthly upon BLS release. Annual figures use unadjusted data (CUUR series) and reflect year-over-year change. Monthly figures use seasonally adjusted data (CUSR series) and reflect month-over-month change. Dollar-impact estimates are based on BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey latest data, expressed in 2025 dollars using food item inflation. bls.gov | Money & Prices