VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Households in Malta continued to feel pressure at the supermarket in 2025 as fluctuating food prices pushed up grocery bills, according to a report by the Central Bank of Malta.
Although overall food inflation averaged 3.2% last year, a surge in unprocessed food prices—reaching 6.5% in December—kept household budgets under strain.
The strongest upward pressure came from meat products, which alone added 0.2 percentage points to the overall inflation rate. International meat prices remained elevated, recording a 6.1% annual increase by January 2026.
Local beef prices rose particularly sharply, exceeding the euro area average by 5.1 percentage points. Poultry and other meats also recorded faster price growth in Malta than elsewhere in the euro area.
Shoppers also faced notable increases in the beverage aisle. Fruit and vegetable juices registered the highest average inflation rate in Malta during 2025, rising at more than double the pace recorded across the euro area.
Other everyday staples—including milk, cheese, eggs and confectionery—also contributed to higher food costs.
The analysis notes that Malta’s food price dynamics differed from those seen elsewhere in the eurozone. While Malta’s food inflation reached 3.2% compared with the euro area’s 2.8%, other countries were hit harder by a 17.3% spike in coffee prices.
There are signs that pressures could ease in the coming years. The central bank expects unprocessed food inflation to moderate to 3.5% and processed food inflation to fall to 3.1% by 2028, supported by slower growth in global meat prices.
However, analysts caution that the outlook remains uncertain, as the future path of prices could also depend on the economic impact of the war involving Iran, particularly if it continues to affect global energy and transport costs.
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(ITALPRESS).
