Here’s how a month of Iran war has affected costs in March

A month into the U.S. war with Iran, the latest consumer price index from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed inflation rising, driven by a surge in energy costs.Inflation rose to 3.3% at an annual pace in March, a 0.9 percentage point increase from January and February, when the consumer price index held steady at 2.4%. The energy index rose 12.5% in March, the largest monthly increase since September 2005, according to the BLS. This was led by a 21.2% increase in the gasoline index, the largest monthly increase since the series was first published in 1967. The war with Iran began on Feb. 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated attacks against Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. This prompted Iran to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes through. Iran and the U.S. have agreed to a conditional two-week ceasefire. Both countries are getting ready for talks on Saturday in Islamabad, Pakistan. A Trump administration spokesperson posted on X that the President has “always been clear about short-term disruptions” from the war with Iran. Grocery pricesThe index for food is at 2.7% in March from 3.1% in February. Indices for four of the six major food groups decreased the past month. This includes the index for meats, poultry, fish and eggs; cereals and bakery products; dairy and nonalcoholic beverages.Fruits and vegetables rose by 1% in March, as rising fuels prices may have driven up transportation cost.The Get the Facts Data Team analyzed average prices of common grocery items in the food index and found some of the largest increases for tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries and bananas.A pound of field-grown tomatoes cost $2.26 in March, up from $1.82 at the same time last year. Lettuce also rose from $1.46 per pound the previous year to $1.72 in March. Strawberries increased to $2.58 per 12 ounces from $2.36 in 2025.See how prices on your grocery list went up or down in the grocery calculator below. PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4K

NEW YORK —

A month into the U.S. war with Iran, the latest consumer price index from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed inflation rising, driven by a surge in energy costs.

Inflation rose to 3.3% at an annual pace in March, a 0.9 percentage point increase from January and February, when the consumer price index held steady at 2.4%. The energy index rose 12.5% in March, the largest monthly increase since September 2005, according to the BLS.

This was led by a 21.2% increase in the gasoline index, the largest monthly increase since the series was first published in 1967.

The war with Iran began on Feb. 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated attacks against Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. This prompted Iran to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes through.

Iran and the U.S. have agreed to a conditional two-week ceasefire. Both countries are getting ready for talks on Saturday in Islamabad, Pakistan.

A Trump administration spokesperson posted on X that the President has “always been clear about short-term disruptions” from the war with Iran.

Grocery prices

The index for food is at 2.7% in March from 3.1% in February. Indices for four of the six major food groups decreased the past month. This includes the index for meats, poultry, fish and eggs; cereals and bakery products; dairy and nonalcoholic beverages.

Fruits and vegetables rose by 1% in March, as rising fuels prices may have driven up transportation cost.

The Get the Facts Data Team analyzed average prices of common grocery items in the food index and found some of the largest increases for tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries and bananas.

A pound of field-grown tomatoes cost $2.26 in March, up from $1.82 at the same time last year. Lettuce also rose from $1.46 per pound the previous year to $1.72 in March. Strawberries increased to $2.58 per 12 ounces from $2.36 in 2025.

See how prices on your grocery list went up or down in the grocery calculator below.