Has the price of baguettes really soared, as many French people believe? By sifting through the INSEE data, the answer is ultimately quite nuanced. The …
The French who lived through it still remember it. On January 1, 2002, the euro replaced the franc, following 200 years of a long history. For many citizens, this change of currency is a real earthquake and many fear a drop in their purchasing power. But 20 years following the arrival of the euro, have prices really exploded? According to INSEE, not as much as the French might imagine. Between 2002 and 2021, “ consumer prices increased by an average of 1.3% per year. This is significantly lower than the average post-war pace in the mid-1980s (+10.1% per year on average) “, explains the institute in a report.
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The price of baguette bread has only increased by 34% in 20 years
Let’s take the example of the baguette, one of the reference products for consumers. In 2001, a 250 g baguette cost €0.66 (4.31 francs), according to INSEE data. And contrary to what the French might imagine, its price has not doubled in 20 years since it reaches in 2022… €0.89, an increase of only 34%. And the same goes for many everyday products*, such as pasta (from €0.73 to €0.79), extra-fine butter (from €1.47 to €1.69) and sugar the price of which has even dropped (from €1.31 to €1.05). Knowing that the minimum wage and wages have increased since 2002, inflation therefore remains moderate ».
*INSEE study on the evolution of the average price of several everyday products between 2001 and 2016
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