Inflation pain: Ahead of July 4th, costs of cookout have jumped nearly 20% year-over-year

Costs for an average American barbecue have spiked nearly 20% year-over-year, another sign of ongoing inflation woes amid the broader economic turmoil that has marked the first 18 months of the Biden administration. 

The "average cost of a summer cookout for 10 people is $69.68, which breaks down to less than $7 per person," the American Farm Bureau Federation wrote in a report this week. 

Overall costs for such barbecues are "up 17% or about $10 from last year, a result of ongoing supply chain disruptions, inflation and the war in Ukraine," the organization said. 

The group indicated that prices rose sharply over the past year after largely staying the same from 2020-2021; indeed, AFBF data indicate that cookout costs actually declined 16 sense over that year. 

“The increased cost of food and supplies is a very real concern in our country and across the globe," AFBF President Zippy Duvall said in the release. "U.S. food assistance programs and food banks help those who struggle to make ends meet here at home, but the story is much different around the globe as food insecurity skyrockets."

"The big impact of a single event in Ukraine shows how dependent the world is on stable, productive agriculture," he added.