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What five euros could buy in Italian food over a century

Istat compared food quantities purchasable in 1926 and 2025 for an amount equivalent to five euros in 2025 in a historical price feature published on 13 October.

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Istat’s “Consumer prices” data feature, published on 13 October, uses the equivalent of five euros at 2025 prices to illustrate a century of food purchasing power. The agency says food price series are available from 1926.

The quantity of potatoes purchasable with that amount fell from 5.5 kilograms in 1926 to about 3 kilograms in 2025. Dry durum-wheat pasta rose from 1.3 kilograms to almost 3 kilograms, while sugar increased from 700 grams to just under 4 kilograms. This is a historical price comparison, not a current shopping basket.

Data

Key figures

Food purchasing-power comparison

Food quantities purchasable in different years for an amount equivalent to five euros in 2025, according to Istat.

Potatoes
0.0055 tonnes
1926 · Observed
Dry durum-wheat pasta
0.0013 tonnes
1926 · Observed
Sugar
0.0007 tonnes
1926 · Observed
Potatoes, 2025 quantity
≈0.003 tonnes
2025 · Observed
Pasta, 2025 quantity
≤0.003 tonnes
2025 · Observed
Sugar, 2025 quantity
≤0.004 tonnes
2025 · Observed
Methodology

Istat compares quantities purchasable for an amount equivalent to five euros at 2025 prices. Source quantities are 5.5 kg potatoes, 1.3 kg dry durum-wheat pasta and 700 g sugar in 1926; about 3 kg, almost 3 kg and just under 4 kg in 2025. Conversion to registered tonnes is explicit: kg × 0.001 and g × 0.000001. Approximation is retained; “almost” and “just under” are upper bounds.

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  • Italy · Place role: Coverage · Place type: Country or area · Location precision: Regional
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    • Explicit preserved editorial country/region; no city or national centroid inferredwww.istat.it ↗
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