According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price of ground beef rose 290%, from $1.84 per pound in 1998 to $7.16 in August 2026. Overall prices rose 106% over the same period, so ground beef rose faster than inflation. This data is collected by a national survey and can vary from region to region.
● Price● Price, inflation-adjusted
Ground beef prices are 2,286.29% higher in 2026 versus 1943 (a $163.70 difference in value).
Between 1943 and 2026, Ground beef experienced an average inflation rate of 3.90% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, ground beef costing $7.16 in the year 1943 would cost $170.86 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.62% during this same period, inflation for ground beef was higher.
The average price for ground beef is calculated from a weighted average of retailer data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The table below shows the average U.S. price of all uncooked ground beef, per lb. (453.6 gm) each year, along with the same price adjusted for inflation. To understand how price levels differ from inflation rates, see this article published by the BLS.
| Year | Price (per pound) | Price, inflation-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | $7.02 | $7.02 |
| 2025 | $6.37 | $6.62 |
| 2024 | $5.71 | $6.10 |
| 2023 | $5.43 | $5.97 |
| 2022 | $5.31 | $6.08 |
| 2021 | $4.88 | $6.03 |
| 2020 | $4.63 | $5.99 |
| 2019 | $4.23 | $5.54 |
| 2018 | $4.12 | $5.49 |
| 2017 | $4.12 | $5.63 |
| 2016 | $4.25 | $5.94 |
| 2015 | $4.63 | $6.54 |
| 2014 | $4.30 | $6.08 |
| 2013 | $3.82 | $5.50 |
| 2012 | $3.72 | $5.42 |
| 2011 | $3.46 | $5.15 |
| 2010 | $3.18 | $4.88 |
| 2009 | $3.10 | $4.84 |
| 2008 | $3.04 | $4.73 |
| 2007 | $2.85 | $4.60 |
| 2006 | $2.72 | $4.51 |
| 2005 | $2.74 | $4.69 |
| 2004 | $2.68 | $4.75 |
| 2003 | $2.45 | $4.46 |
| 2002 | $2.29 | $4.26 |
| 2001 | $2.19 | $4.15 |
| 2000 | $2.01 | $3.91 |
| 1999 | $1.89 | $3.80 |
| 1998 | $1.84 | $3.78 |
Yearly averages; 2026 is through August. Inflation-adjusted to 2026 dollars.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Ground beef, over time, for $7.16 beginning in 1943. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1943 | $7.16 | - |
| 1944 | $6.78 | -5.31% |
| 1945 | $6.79 | 0.14% |
| 1946 | $8.43 | 24.23% |
| 1947 | $10.87 | 28.89% |
| 1948 | $13.86 | 27.53% |
| 1949 | $12.68 | -8.53% |
| 1950 | $14.03 | 10.63% |
| 1951 | $16.58 | 18.22% |
| 1952 | $15.84 | -4.50% |
| 1953 | $11.56 | -27.04% |
| 1954 | $10.42 | -9.84% |
| 1955 | $10.11 | -2.98% |
| 1956 | $9.90 | -2.11% |
| 1957 | $10.80 | 9.14% |
| 1958 | $13.57 | 25.64% |
| 1959 | $14.09 | 3.83% |
| 1960 | $13.45 | -4.52% |
| 1961 | $13.18 | -1.99% |
| 1962 | $13.44 | 1.91% |
| 1963 | $13.25 | -1.37% |
| 1964 | $12.93 | -2.44% |
| 1965 | $13.55 | 4.80% |
| 1966 | $14.73 | 8.73% |
| 1967 | $14.86 | 0.86% |
| 1968 | $15.46 | 4.07% |
| 1969 | $17.19 | 11.14% |
| 1970 | $18.22 | 6.04% |
| 1971 | $18.77 | 2.98% |
| 1972 | $20.43 | 8.87% |
| 1973 | $25.82 | 26.37% |
| 1974 | $26.18 | 1.39% |
| 1975 | $24.16 | -7.72% |
| 1976 | $23.89 | -1.08% |
| 1977 | $23.33 | -2.38% |
| 1978 | $29.56 | 26.72% |
| 1979 | $39.44 | 33.44% |
| 1980 | $40.56 | 2.83% |
| 1981 | $39.79 | -1.89% |
| 1982 | $39.61 | -0.47% |
| 1983 | $38.56 | -2.64% |
| 1984 | $38.17 | -1.01% |
| 1985 | $37.20 | -2.55% |
| 1986 | $36.80 | -1.08% |
| 1987 | $38.85 | 5.57% |
| 1988 | $40.11 | 3.24% |
| 1989 | $42.11 | 4.99% |
| 1990 | $45.79 | 8.75% |
| 1991 | $46.49 | 1.52% |
| 1992 | $46.10 | -0.84% |
| 1993 | $47.21 | 2.42% |
| 1994 | $46.40 | -1.71% |
| 1995 | $45.03 | -2.96% |
| 1996 | $44.33 | -1.55% |
| 1997 | $45.13 | 1.80% |
| 1998 | $45.01 | -0.26% |
| 1999 | $45.92 | 2.02% |
| 2000 | $48.56 | 5.75% |
| 2001 | $52.55 | 8.22% |
| 2002 | $53.56 | 1.92% |
| 2003 | $57.85 | 7.99% |
| 2004 | $64.47 | 11.45% |
| 2005 | $67.92 | 5.35% |
| 2006 | $68.38 | 0.68% |
| 2007 | $71.46 | 4.51% |
| 2008 | $76.18 | 6.60% |
| 2009 | $76.96 | 1.04% |
| 2010 | $78.97 | 2.60% |
| 2011 | $87.90 | 11.32% |
| 2012 | $94.12 | 7.07% |
| 2013 | $95.69 | 1.68% |
| 2014 | $107.02 | 11.84% |
| 2015 | $114.52 | 7.01% |
| 2016 | $103.99 | -9.19% |
| 2017 | $103.40 | -0.57% |
| 2018 | $104.00 | 0.58% |
| 2019 | $104.42 | 0.40% |
| 2020 | $114.85 | 9.99% |
| 2021 | $120.37 | 4.81% |
| 2022 | $130.09 | 8.07% |
| 2023 | $133.79 | 2.84% |
| 2024 | $140.41 | 4.95% |
| 2025 | $156.28 | 11.30% |
| 2026 | $170.86 | 9.33%* |
* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.
Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Uncooked ground beef:
| Year | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
| CPI | 18.464 | 17.483 | 17.508 | 21.750 | 28.033 | 35.750 | 32.700 | 36.175 | 42.767 | 40.842 | 29.800 | 26.867 | 26.067 | 25.517 | 27.850 | 34.992 | 36.333 | 34.692 | 34.000 | 34.650 | 34.175 | 33.342 | 34.942 | 37.992 | 38.317 | 39.875 | 44.317 | 46.992 | 48.392 | 52.683 | 66.575 | 67.500 | 62.292 | 61.617 | 60.150 | 76.225 | 101.717 | 104.592 | 102.617 | 102.133 | 99.442 | 98.442 | 95.933 | 94.900 | 100.183 | 103.425 | 108.583 | 118.083 | 119.875 | 118.867 | 121.742 | 119.658 | 116.117 | 114.317 | 116.375 | 116.075 | 118.417 | 125.225 | 135.517 | 138.125 | 149.167 | 166.250 | 175.142 | 176.333 | 184.280 | 196.436 | 198.469 | 203.635 | 226.679 | 242.701 | 246.767 | 275.982 | 295.320 | 268.171 | 266.630 | 268.177 | 269.257 | 296.163 | 310.401 | 335.466 | 345.004 | 362.079 | 403.002 | 440.596 |