How much more expensive has Christmas got since inflation surged?
The price of Christmas has gone up by more than a fifth in the past three years, a rate faster than overall inflation, Sky News analysis has revealed.
A shopping list consisting of some Christmas classics, like cream liqueur, sausages, bacon, potatoes and some children’s toys, costs almost £30 more than it would have done three years ago.
That’s a rise of 22.1%, compared with the 20.9% overall rate of inflation in that time.
It comes after a period during which the annual rate of inflation rose to levels not seen since the 1990s.
In sad news for those who love to cheese out at Christmas, the price of soft cheese has increased by nearly 50% since November 2020 – the highest rate out of our selection – while cheddar’s rise is not far behind at 41%.
Popular gifts have also gotten more expensive – a child’s sit and ride toy has gone up by 17%, while a pair of men’s socks are up 13% and a lady’s scarf is up 17%.
How much have prices of items frequently bought at Christmas increased in the past three years? Use our calculator to see how much prices are rising. Click on the Christmas tree to see prices for a selection of common Christmas items.
Our Christmas list costs £7.50 more than this time last year, a rise of almost 5%, also faster than the overall level of inflation in that time (3.9%).
Pigs in blankets are among the biggest risers this year, with sausages and bacon both up 14%.
While the shopping basket data from the ONS doesn’t have a whole turkey, the main attraction of many Christmas dinners, it does have prices for pre-cooked turkey slices.
A 100-180g pack increased by just 5p (2%), from £2.26 to £2.31.
What about the trimmings? Well, a kilo of potatoes are 7% more expensive than they were in November 2022.
How much has your individual spending gone up in the past year?
What Christmas food and drink has got more expensive in the past year?
Many other Christmas food and drinks staples have seen prices increase between November 2022 and 2023.
But it’s worth noting that none of these factor in increases in energy costs seen over the last few years – impacting the cost of cooking your Christmas dinner or heating a house full of visitors.
Carrots are 15% more expensive and a cauliflower is 4% more.
If you wanted to use the cauliflower to make some cauliflower cheese, cheddar will cost 50p (6%) more than this time last year.
Drinks to go with your dinner have also risen in price.
A bottle of cream liqueur is 5% more expensive and a bottle of champagne is up 6%.
Non-drinkers will also have to spend more on drinks with fruit juice and a big bottle of cola increasing by 14% and 3% respectively.
How about Christmas presents?
As well as many Christmas dinner items, presents have also increased in price.
Socks are often a great gift for when you’re clueless on what to buy and a pair of men’s socks have increased by 5%.
A lady’s scarf, also great for keeping warm, is now 8% more expensive.
But there’s great news if you want to buy a gift for the more active and adventurous person. An adult bike, costs nearly £30 less – a saving of 7%.
For families with young children, the price of a sit-and-ride toy for under-5s has increased by just 2%, and if you want to combine some festive joy with some Christmas holiday learning, an electronic educational toy has now increased by 1%.
The good news is that general inflation is coming down – with the annual rate falling to 3.9% in the year to November.
The Data and Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done.