Global food prices up 4.3% in 2025: FAO

By Mucahithan Avcioglu

ISTANBUL (AA) - The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported on Friday that global food prices finished 2025 4.3% above its 2024 level.

The organization's Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a selected group of globally traded food commodities, averaged 127.2 points last year.

The yearly rise was due to increases in vegetable oil and dairy prices offsetting decreases in cereal and sugar prices.

In December, global food prices declined 2.3% year-on-year, as falls in dairy, meat, and vegetable oil prices offset increases in grain and sugar prices.

In 2025 as a whloe, the Dairy Price Index rose 13.2% compared to the previous year, driven by strong global import demand and limited exportable supply in the early part of the year.

The Meat Price Index finished 2025 5.1% above the previous year's level, driven by strong import demand but also by uncertainties stemming from animal disease outbreaks and geopolitical tensions.

The Vegetable Oil Price Index was up 17.1% last year, reaching its highest level in three years.

On the other hand, the Cereal Price Index fell 4.9% year-on-year in 2025, recording its third consecutive annual decline, and falling to its lowest annual average since 2020.

The Sugar Price Index also dropped 17% last year, hitting its lowest level since 2020.