Russia-Ukraine war and inflation, goods prices have risen the most in four years. Flights and olive oil are at their peak.

The National Consumers' Union (UNC) has processed ISTAT data to compile a ranking of the largest price increases compared to the pre-crisis period, that is, those that occurred after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, a statement states, various products have alternately topped the price increases, from free-market electricity to domestic flights, from sugar to non-olive oil, due to the surge in sunflower oil. But which of these, after the various ups and downs, tops the ranking of these years of astronomical increases? What has remained at sky-high prices, and what has since decreased, with a reduction in the magnitude of the increase? To make a consistent comparison that takes seasonality into account, also considering that energy prices began their rise in July 2021, the starting point is the June 2021 prices.

In the top 10 hotels and vacation packages

Well, in four years, from June 2021 to June 2025, against a general inflation rate of 17.8%, some items have more than doubled in price. European flights lead the way, rising 156.5% compared to June 2021; domestic flights are in second place, rising 38.7% from June 2024, but are now up 124.9% compared to four years ago. Olive oil is at the bottom of the list, now costing 59.5%.

Butter is in fourth place, up 58.6%, followed by free-market electricity with a 54.7% increase (higher than the regulated market, which ranks only 37th with a much smaller 29.5%), jewelry (+53.5%), hotels and motels (+52.7%) in seventh place, followed by rice (+49.1%) and coffee (+46.6%). Domestic vacation packages round out the top ten with a 45.8% increase.

Cocoa and gas are the first "chasers"

Cocoa and chocolate powder ranked eleventh with a 44.6% increase, followed by gas from the regulated market with a 44.5% increase. It should be noted that gas from the free market has only been recorded by ISTAT since January 2022, and since then has increased by 23%, more than the regulated market, which, over the same period, increased by 11.9%, almost half as much. Potatoes ranked thirteenth (+44%), followed by margarine (+41.9%), ice cream (+41.6%), preserved milk (+40.7%), intercontinental flights (+40.3%), processed cheese (+39.4%), and berries (grapes, strawberries, berries) with a 38.3% increase. Rounding out the top 20 are camper vans, caravans, and trailers (+36.4%).

The top 40 also includes sugar (22nd, with +35.3%), eggs and maritime transport (both 26th, with +32.8%), pensions (32nd, +31.4%), packaged bread (33rd, +31%), frozen vegetables (38th, +29.3%).

The "recovered" increases

Outside the top 40, several products that had previously seen record increases remain, starting with non-olive oil, which, after repeatedly topping the top ten for trend increases, while still recording a 25.7% increase compared to June 2021, is now below the average for food products, which rose by 26.2%. The same applies to pasta (dry and fresh), which is priced 25.8% higher, flour (+23.8%), fresh whole milk (+23.5%), and fresh bread (+24.3%).

Dona: "All price increases are unacceptable"

"These are all unacceptable price increases, to be clear, but they are less than the previous record highs," says Massimiliano Dona, president of the National Consumers Union. Petrol and diesel, on the other hand, are doing very well, costing only 5.8% and 9.7% more, respectively. This study shows that, although inflation is currently low, up 1.7% in June, and some products have been missing from the top ten price increases for months, such as potatoes (only +0.8% compared to June 2024) and margarine (+1.8%), or are even declining in price on a trend basis, such as flour (-0.5%), pasta (-3.2%), olive oil (-17.7%), and sugar (-9.5%), their prices remain unsustainable and are currently at least 25 percent more expensive than normal times. Furthermore, in the top 40, 29 products are food items, which are mandatory expenses by definition," Dona concludes.