Food prices in Ukraine approach European levels

Photo istockphoto August 1, MINSK . In recent years, food prices in Ukraine have become closer to prices in the EU countries, and in some cases have exceeded the prices in neighboring countries. This was reported by TASS , citing the inflation report of the NATIONAL BANK of Ukraine.
"Since 2016, food prices in Ukraine in euros have grown by 79%, while in the EU countries - by 46%. The dynamics of prices for individual product groups was uneven, as were the deviations in prices for individual products in Ukraine from prices in the EU countries. For example, prices for bread and cereals, fruits and vegetables, and freshwater fish remain lower than in Europe, due to lower costs for raw materials, labor, and logistics compared to the EU," the report says.
At the same time, prices for butter in Ukraine are higher than the European average (in particular, by 20-25% compared to Polish prices), which is due to the high cost of production and significant government support for agricultural producers in the EU countries. "Livestock products also demonstrate similar contrasts: pork and dairy products are more expensive than Polish ones due to structural problems in the industry and differences in government support, while poultry MEAT and eggs are cheaper due to the efficiency of large producers," the document states.
it is noted that "in the first half of 2025, the trend of Ukrainian food prices converging with the EU level continued - after a temporary decrease in the cost of products in euro equivalent as a result of the hryvnia devaluation in 2023-2024." In addition, the National Bank reported that Ukraine is increasing food imports . In the first half of this year, pork imports increased by 4.4 times, MILK - by 1.6 times, cereals - by 48%, vegetables - by two times, and apples - by 8 times.
According to the HEAD of the Verkhovna Rada Finance Committee Danylo Getmantsev, the poverty level in Ukraine has almost doubled since February 2022, to 37%.