WELLINGTON, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand food prices increased by 1.5 percent in the 12 months to December 2024, following a 1.3 percent increase in the 12 months to November 2024, according to the statistics department Stats NZ on Thursday.

The annual increase in food prices was attributed to higher prices for grocery food, and restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food, up 2.7 percent and 3.1 percent, respectively, Stats NZ said.

The price increase in grocery food was due to higher prices for butter, standard 2L milk, and olive oil, said Stats NZ prices and deflators spokesperson Nicola Growden, adding the price increase in restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food was due to higher prices for lunch or brunch, hamburgers, and evening restaurant meals.

Meanwhile, decreasing prices in the fruit and vegetables group had the largest impact on food prices, falling 8 percent in the 12 months to December 2024, which were driven by lower prices for kumara, potatoes, and onions.

Kumara prices were around 60 percent lower in December 2024 than they were a year ago, Growden said, adding that in comparison, kumara prices rose almost 260 percent in the year ended December 2023.