The Office for National Statistics said the annual rate as measured by the consumer prices index dipped again last month to 10.5%, continuing a fall from 10.7% in November and its recent peak of 11.1% in October.
However, the pace at which food prices and non-alcoholic drinks increased was well above the overall rate, rising by 16.8% in the year to December – the biggest annual jump since 1977.
Basic essentials such as bread, milk and cheese soared, a development likely to put most pressure on lower-income households who spend a larger share of their income on food and energy than wealthier households.
Highlighting the rising cost of a weekly shop in the past year, the price of milk rose by almost 50%. Bread was up by a fifth, while store-cupboard staples such as sugar and pasta increased by more than a quarter.
Read more at The Guardian
