80% of Americans say grocery costs have notably increased since the pandemic started, survey finds

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The rate of price increases for food has subsided in recent months, according to the latest government inflation data. However, shoppers still report feeling burdened by the prices they're seeing in the grocery store aisles. To that point, within the past few years, 80% of Americans say they've felt a notable increase in the cost of groceries, Intuit Credit Karma reported last month. Since the start of the pandemic, grocery prices have risen 25%, the report also found. Some consumers have had to sacrifice necessities to afford food, the personal finance company found. That includes 28% who sacrificed other needs like rent or bills to pay for groceries, and 27% who occasionally skipped meals. Additionally, 18% have either applied for or considered applying for food stamps, while 15% rely on or have considered turning to food banks. Yet, 53% indicated they earn too much to qualify for food stamps or other government assistance but still have difficulties paying for necessities. While most consumers report noticing higher grocery costs, 51% have also seen increases in gasoline prices; 39% said other bills like cable, electricity and internet have spiked; 27% said housing costs have gone up; and another 27% said dining out costs have risen. The survey was conducted online by Qualtrics on behalf of Intuit Credit Karma, from May 7-13 among 2,011 adults.