Non-food inflation accelerated to 2.2% in April, up from 1.5% in March, according to the latest shop price index from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and market research group NielsenIQ, the highest rate since the monitor began in 2006.
Food inflation rose to 3.5% in April - up from 3.3% in March - making it the highest such figure on the index since March 2013, as the price of energy and commodities, including wheat and oil, drove up costs for many producers.
The inflation is intensifying existing pressures on the cost of living, including last month's energy cap increase that pushed the average electricity and gas bill up by £700 a year. The cost of petrol has also shot up, while household budgets are already under pressure after the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, raised national insurance contributions.
This story is from the May 04, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the May 04, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
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