Move over, eggs. There’s a new expensive breakfast item in town.
Bacon prices have risen almost 20% since last year, and experts say these prices may not be coming down, thanks to a confluence of market factors.
Pork bacon prices in May were up 5.7% from April and 18% from May 2024, according to an analysis of grocery price data from NIQ.
Bacon prices are known for their volatility compared to other grocery essentials, as observed by NBC News. Jim Eadie, who established Swineweb.com, a pork industry journal, suggests that the recent surge in bacon prices may remain persistent.
“It’s essentially part of the business expenses,” Eadie explained. “Factors like tariffs, rising wages, product supply and demand, and production costs all contribute to this bacon price inflation.”
According to NIQ’s findings from actual checkout prices nationwide, the cost of a pound of bacon varies widely based on location, ranging from $4.03 in Dallas to over $7.00 in Los Angeles.
California’s Proposition 12, which went into effect in 2022 and mandates minimum living requirements for farm animals, also increased pork, and thus bacon, prices, Eadie said.
Egg prices, meanwhile, continued their recent decline in May, falling 6.6% from April. Prices are still up 41% over May 2024.
