Food Prices in China Rise for the First Time in 10 Months Amid Surge in Fresh Vegetables

According to TradingEconomics, food prices in China experienced a slight year-on-year increase of 0.2% in November 2025, concluding a ten-month streak of declines following a sharp drop of 2.9% in October. This shift reflects renewed price pressures on several staple goods, coinciding with the onset of winter and reduced supply.

The surge was primarily driven by a significant increase in fresh vegetable prices, which jumped 14.5% compared to a 7.3% decline in the previous month, alongside a 0.7% rise in fresh fruit prices after a 2.0% decrease in October. These movements indicate clear seasonal effects and tightening agricultural supplies.

However, several key categories continue to exert downward pressure on food inflation, as egg prices continued their sharp decline at -12.5% compared to -11.6% previously, while vegetable oil prices fell -1.2% and dairy products -1.6%, similar to the previous month.

As for pork - a staple in the Chinese consumer basket - it continued to decline by -15%, although the pace of the decrease slowed compared to October's -16%, suggesting that downward pressures on prices may be easing.

This mix of increases and decreases reveals a divergent picture of the food price landscape in China, where some goods are affected by seasonal and climatic factors, while others remain under pressure from oversupply and weak demand.