Prices soar for fresh produce and meat

Supermarket inflation across retail chains stood at +2.23% in April 2026 compared with the same month last year, according to the monthly survey by the Institute of Retail Consumer Goods Research (IELKA), which tracks inflation trends in the organised food retail sector.

According to the Institute, the price index recorded a monthly decline of -0.21% in April 2026 compared with March 2026. On a 12-month basis (May 2025–April 2026), prices increased by +1.79%.

IELKA noted that approximately half of the inflationary pressure is attributed to the fresh fruit and vegetables category, which over the past two months has been affected by adverse weather conditions and seasonality. Other categories have shown comparatively limited fluctuations. Excluding fresh fruit and vegetables, overall supermarket inflation remained below 1% in April 2026.

Top 5 categories with the highest increases

The largest year-on-year price increases in April 2026 were recorded in the following categories:

Fresh fruit and vegetables: +11.96%

Baby and infant food: +7.43%

Processed meats: +7.11%

Fresh meat: +5.57%

Fresh fish and seafood: +4.19%

Drivers of price increases in fruit, vegetables and meat

The rise in fresh fruit and vegetable prices is primarily attributed to weather conditions during January and April 2026, with heavy rainfall, low temperatures and flooding affecting fresh produce output.

Increases in fresh meat and processed meat prices are driven, firstly, by higher international prices for imported products—particularly beef, due to a reduction in livestock numbers (it is noted that the majority of beef and pork consumed in Greece is imported)—and secondly, by animal diseases that affected several livestock regions in Greece, particularly sheep and goats.

Categories with price declines

On the contrary, the largest price decreases in April 2026 compared with April 2025 were recorded in the following categories:

Single-use items, household goods and party supplies: -3.08%

Frozen foods: -2.73%

Eggs, butter and stock cubes: -1.78%

Fresh and frozen dough products: -1.37%

Pet food and supplies: -1.32%

According to IELKA, the recorded price declines reflect both market normalisation and lower producer prices in selected product categories.

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