Memorial Day barbecues will attract Americans on average 10 percent more than last year, surprising statistics show.
Virginia’s new numbers data assembly shows the effect of inflation on holidays, which commonly consist of outdoor dining.
Like clockwork, tens of millions travel each year with the intention of grilling or barbecuing, and it is predicted that more than 22 million will participate this time.
Even though main courses are typically cheap, the average cost of barbecue this year will be around $30.18, the company found, before pointing out some of the main suspects.
It also released data points for individual items such as burgers and buns, which also increased from last year, with some of the increases reaching nearly 50 percent.
Memorial Day barbecues will attract Americans on average 10 percent more than last year, surprising statistics have shown, indicating the effect of inflation on the holiday, which commonly involves outdoor dining.
Tens of millions travel each year during the holidays with the intention of grilling or roasting, and it is predicted that more than 22 million will participate this time.
Here’s a complete look before you start cooking.
Hamburgers have risen from $7.04 in 2023 to $8.07 in 2024, according to Datasembly, which tracks the cost of food in the United States by week.
This represents a 14.63 percent change in total cost, well above the country’s inflation rate of 3.36 percent.
The burger buns, which go hand-in-hand with the above, will cost a slightly more indulgent extra two cents, from $3.04 to $3.06.
Meanwhile, those who prefer hot dogs will be happy to know there was no change in cost, even though it rose three percent last year to an average of $3.44 per package.
The delicious buns that house them, however, rose at a similar rate to the burgers: almost one percent from the $3.06 they cost last year.
The condiments that commonly garnish both have gone up even more: A 32-ounce bottle of ketchup now costs $5.53 instead of $5.43, and mustard rises to $2.61 from $2.53.
But it was another ingredient that saw the biggest increase, one that makes the others seem like a small change.
Even though main courses are typically cheap, the average cost of barbecue this year will be around $30.18, the company found, before pointing out some of the main suspects.
Burgers rose from $7.04 in 2023 to $8.07 in 2024, according to Datasembly, which tracks the cost of food in the U.S. by week.
Meanwhile, it was a simple add-on that saw the biggest increase, one that makes the others seem like a small change. Pictured is some pickle relish, which now costs almost 50 percent more than last year.
Meanwhile, those who prefer hot dogs will be happy to know that there was no change in the price of hot dogs, despite it increasing three per cent last year to an average of $3.44 per package.
This is none other than Relish, which led the price increases with an increase of almost 50 percent, going from $3.14 to $4.67.
Other tried-and-true items showed more of the same, representing an overall price increase of 10.19 percent, Datassembly discerned.
Meat, a Memorial Day stalwart, is driving most of the increases, a processing manager in central Illinois told CIProud.com on Friday, as millions of Americans are poised to flock to supermarkets for their spread. .
“We’re trying to give everyone a good opportunity to get something to eat, something to grill and feed their family,” Raber’s Packing Company processing manager Will Vaughn told the station.
‘We make lots of meat packs and offer a discounted price if you buy more. Prices have definitely gone up, but we’re trying to make this less painful.’
The summer months are typically the busiest for meatpacking companies, with Memorial Day being a focal point.
Nearly 44 million Americans are expected to travel for the holidays, and 52 percent plan to have a barbecue, Datassembly found.
Meanwhile, the inflation rate continues to slow slightly, according to the Federal Reserve.