In honor of the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Department of Labor, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released a fact sheet comparing food prices in 1913 with those in 2013. During the past century, the rate of inflation has risen 2,226.1%, meaning that an item that cost $1 in 2013 now costs $22.26. But some food items have increased in price far more than others.

Even though flour has only gone from about 3 cents a pound to 52 cents a pound (1,588%), bread has gone from less than 6 cents a loaf to $1.42 a loaf (2,539%). Potatoes, only 1.6 cents a pound a century ago, now average 63 cents a pound (3,919%).

At the other end of the scale, a dozen eggs increased from 37 cents in 1913 to $1.93 in 2013, only 518%. Butter has gone from 41 cents a pound to $3.50 a pound, an increase of 856%. Back in 1913, butter and eggs were relatively expensive items, but now, unlike back then, they cost less than coffee, cheese, sirloin steak and even bacon.

-David Wallechinsky

To Learn More:

Average Food Prices: a Snapshot of how much has Changed over a Century (by Jonathan Church and Ken Stewart, Bureau of Labor Statistics)