Motor fuels were 24.6% higher in May than the same last year, according to ONS figures. Overall transport inflation was 6.8%, the highest annual rate since December 2022.
But that was “offset by lower food prices, with decreases in inflation seen across a range of meat, dairy and vegetable items compared to last month”, Fitzner said.
Food inflation fell from 3% in the year to April to 2.2% in the year to May, the slowest rate of food inflation since December 2024.
The price of meat is particularly high, but the rate of increase is slowing: beef and veal went up by 9.4% in the year to May, compared to 13.2% in the year to April and 18.8% in the year to March.
Responding to the figures, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said easing food inflation showed that the British supermarket sector was highly competitive, but food inflation was likely to rise in the coming months.
Similarly, the Food and Drink Federation said prices “prices still don’t reflect the inflation caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz”.
Its chief executive Karen Betts explained: “It generally takes several months for the increased costs paid by farmers, processors and manufacturers to filter into raised prices at the tills.
This is partly because of “the widespread use of long-term contracts for energy and ingredients”.
