FX.co ★ New Zealand Food Inflation Accelerates

New Zealand’s annual food inflation increased to 4.5% in February 2026, up from 4.2% in January, marking the second consecutive monthly acceleration in food prices. Within the broader grocery category, overall costs declined by 0.4%, but this masked sharp increases in specific groups: prices for meat, poultry, and fish jumped 7.5%, while fruit and vegetable prices surged 9.4%. Soft drink prices also rose notably, climbing 6.7% over the year.