The claim that grocery prices in the United States have gone down is false according to current official data. While consumers may notice short-term discounts on certain products, overall grocery costs continue to rise in 2025. To verify this, I reviewed multiple primary and secondary sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (USDA ERS), and recent news analyses.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the “food at home” index—which measures grocery store prices—increased 2.7% over the 12 months ending August 2025, and rose 0.5% from July to August, showing a continued upward trend rather than a decline (BLS CPI Report, 2025). The Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) confirms this trajectory: the seasonally adjusted food at home index climbed from 311.3 in April 2025 to 314.6 in August 2025, illustrating consistent inflation in grocery costs (FRED, 2025). Likewise, the USDA ERS Food Price Outlook projects a 2.4% average annual increase in grocery prices for 2025, signaling that food costs will likely keep rising (USDA ERS, 2025).
To supplement these primary sources, I consulted CBS News, which summarized the same BLS data and reported that grocery costs remain higher than last year, adding that “rising food prices continue to challenge households nationwide.” (CBS News, 2025). These secondary analyses align with the official figures.
While isolated categories—such as eggs or seasonal produce—may occasionally show price dips, these fluctuations are temporary and do not represent a broad decrease in grocery inflation. The BLS and USDA are impartial government agencies with no commercial incentive to distort price trends, whereas media sources like CBS News rely directly on those datasets for reporting.
No single individual or organization could be identified as the original source of this claim; it appears to have circulated on social media without attribution. I searched for any official statements suggesting falling grocery prices and found none.
Overall, the evidence overwhelmingly contradicts the claim. Grocery prices have risen modestly but steadily over the past year, and both government statistics and forecasts indicate continued inflation in 2025. Therefore, the statement that “grocery prices in the United States have gone down” is misleading and factually inaccurate.