New Zealand's food prices rose 4 percent in the year to December 2025, easing from a 4.4-percent annual increase in the year to November 2025, Stats NZ reported Friday.

Grocery items led the rise, up 4.6 percent annually, followed by meat, poultry, and fish, which climbed 7.4 percent, said a statement of the statistics department.

Milk rose 15.8 percent, beef steak surged 21.7 percent, and white bread jumped 58.3 percent, it said.

Olive oil provided the biggest offset, falling 23.4 percent from March 2025 to its lowest level since March 2024, said Stats NZ prices and deflators spokesperson Nicola Growden.

Prices for seasonal vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber, and avocado also declined.

xinhua