Paper towels hidden inflation: +25.8% per unit vs +28.8% official inflation
By ShrinkRadar · Updated 2026-11-05 · Part of the ShrinkRadar Index, recomputed from the case library and official price data on every build
When a paper towels pack shrinks, its price per sheet jumps. In 5 documented paper towels shrinks with shelf prices before and after and an official match (2024), the median price per sheet changed +25.8%. Official inflation for the same cases, matched to each one’s category, country and time, was +28.8%: official prices up 28.8%, the ShrinkRadar per-unit price up 25.8% over the same periods.
same category, country and time+28.8%
2 of 540%
shelf prices before and after5
median, all 16 cases since 2018+9.8%
Official data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U. Recomputed on every build. Method and limits.
In one lineBy countryBy yearCasesOfficial seriesMethodCite
Paper towels in one line
Each line is computed from the tables below. Copy one with its source.
Paper towels: official prices were up 28.8% and the ShrinkRadar per-unit price up 25.8% over the same periods. Packs that shrank cost a median 25.8% more per sheet than the pack they replaced, against 28.8% official inflation for the same category, country and time (5 priced cases with an official match, 2024, all from LendingTree shrinkflation study).
In 40% of those paper towels cases (2 of 5), the price per unit rose more than official inflation for the same category, country and time.
Across all 16 documented paper towels shrinks since 2018, the size cut alone raised the price per unit by a median 9.8%, before any change in the shelf price.
In the United States, paper towels packs that shrank were up 25.8% per sheet, while official prices (BLS CPI-U) for the same cases were up 28.8% over the same periods (5 priced cases with an official match, 2024, all from LendingTree shrinkflation study).
By country
The same comparison for paper towels cases by the country they come from, each against its own statistics office. A country needs at least 5 priced cases with an official match; all countries here qualify.
| Country | Cases | Per unit (median) | Official, same cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 16 (5 priced) | +25.8% | +28.8% |
By year
By the year the pack changed. A year needs at least 5 priced cases; thin years are marked. Comparisons spanning several years (5 paper towels cases) are left out of this series but kept in the headline and the case list. No single year has 5 priced paper towels cases yet, so there is no yearly figure.
| Year | Cases | Priced | Per unit (median) | Official, same cases (n) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | 0 | too thin | — |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | too thin | — |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | too thin | — |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | too thin | — |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | too thin | — |
The 16 paper towels cases
Which cases count. All 16 paper towels cases that changed in 2018 or later are listed and count in the size-cut figure. The per-unit headline uses the 5 that have shelf prices before and after and an official match (listed first). Left out of the per-unit figure: 11 size-only cases (the source recorded no shelf prices; we never fill one in). Not listed: 2 older paper towels cases that changed before 2018, outside the range of the official data.
| Case (country · when · size) | Per unit | Official, matched |
|---|---|---|
| Bounty Select-A-Size paper towels, 8 triple rolls United States · 2024 · 165 sheets/roll → 135 sheets/roll (−18.2%) | +36.4% | +28.8% Household paper products · BLS CPI-U (US) · 2024 average vs 2019–2020 average |
| Great Value Ultra Strong paper towels, 6 double rolls United States · 2024 · 120 sheets/roll → 110 sheets/roll (−8.3%) | +16.2% | +28.8% Household paper products · BLS CPI-U (US) · 2024 average vs 2019–2020 average |
| Scott Choose-A-Sheet paper towels, 6 double rolls United States · 2024 · 110 sheets/roll → 100 sheets/roll (−9.1%) | +25.8% | +28.8% Household paper products · BLS CPI-U (US) · 2024 average vs 2019–2020 average |
| Sparkle Pick-A-Size paper towels, 6 double rolls United States · 2024 · 120 sheets/roll → 110 sheets/roll (−8.3%) | +23.3% | +28.8% Household paper products · BLS CPI-U (US) · 2024 average vs 2019–2020 average |
| Sparkle Pick-A-Size paper towels, 8 double rolls United States · 2024 · 126 sheets/roll → 110 sheets/roll (−12.7%) | +83.8% | +28.8% Household paper products · BLS CPI-U (US) · 2024 average vs 2019–2020 average |
| Bounty Mega Rolls United States · 2025 · 180 sheets → 164 sheets (−8.9%) | size only size cut alone +9.8% | +5.5% Household paper products · BLS CPI-U (US) · 12 months to Sep 2025 |
| Bounty Triple Roll paper towels United States · 2025 · 135 sheets/roll → 123 sheets/roll (−8.9%) | size only size cut alone +9.8% | +2.0% Household paper products · BLS CPI-U (US) · 2025 average vs 2024 (same 11 months) |
| Viva paper towels double roll United States · 2025 · 94 sheets/roll → 86 sheets/roll (−8.5%) | size only size cut alone +9.3% | +2.0% Household paper products · BLS CPI-U (US) · 2025 average vs 2024 (same 11 months) |
| Viva Paper Towels Triple Roll United States · 2025 · 133 sheets → 121 sheets (−9.0%) | size only size cut alone +9.9% | +5.5% Household paper products · BLS CPI-U (US) · 12 months to Sep 2025 |
| Brawny Tear-A-Square paper towels United States · 2024 · 120 sheets/roll → 100 sheets/roll (−16.7%) | size only size cut alone +20.0% | −1.4% Household paper products · BLS CPI-U (US) · 12 months to Aug 2024 |
| Bounty Select-a-Size double roll (2023) United States · 2023 · 98 sheets/roll → 90 sheets/roll (−8.2%) | size only size cut alone +8.9% | +12.4% Household paper products · BLS CPI-U (US) · 12 months to May 2023 |
| Bounty Select-a-Size triple roll (2023) United States · 2023 · 147 sheets/roll → 135 sheets/roll (−8.2%) | size only size cut alone +8.9% | +12.4% Household paper products · BLS CPI-U (US) · 12 months to May 2023 |
| Great Value Ultra Strong paper towels United States · 2023 · 168 sheets/roll → 120 sheets/roll (−28.6%) | size only size cut alone +40.0% | +8.4% Household paper products · BLS CPI-U (US) · 2023 average vs 2022 |
| Bounty Paper Towels United States · 2021 · 165 sheets → 147 sheets (−10.9%) | size only size cut alone +12.2% | +0.3% Household paper products · BLS CPI-U (US) · 12 months to Aug 2021 |
| Kirkland Signature paper towels (2021) United States · 2021 · 160 sheets/roll → 140 sheets/roll (−12.5%) | size only size cut alone +14.3% | +3.5% Household paper products · BLS CPI-U (US) · 12 months to May 2021 |
| Brawny Paper Towels United States · 2019 · 87 sheets → 80 sheets (−8.0%) | size only size cut alone +8.7% | +5.1% Household paper products · BLS CPI-U (US) · 12 months to May 2019 |
Official series used
Each paper towels case is matched to one official series for its country. A broad match means no series exists for exactly this category, so the nearest wider one is used.
| Official series | Provider | Cases matched |
|---|---|---|
| Household paper products CUUR0000SEHN02 | BLS CPI-U (US) | 16 |
Method and limits
Two measures per case. Size cut alone = old size ÷ new size − 1: what you pay more per unit if the shelf price did not change. Price per unit = (new price ÷ new size) ÷ (old price ÷ old size) − 1, from the shelf prices the source recorded. Official benchmark: the 12-month change of the matched series in the month the case was reported, or the annual-average change for cases with only a year, or the source’s own comparison period. Every case counts once and figures are medians; there is no spending weighting.
Limits. These are documented shrinks, not a random sample: sources report packs that got smaller, and the consumer agencies behind most priced cases usually report them when the price per unit rose. So the page shows how big the hidden rise is when paper towels shrinkflation happens, not how common it is. Official indexes already count a smaller pack at the same price as a price rise when the item is in their sample. Full method, thresholds and data refresh: ShrinkRadar Index method.
Cite this page
ShrinkRadar, “ShrinkRadar Index: paper towels hidden inflation”, https://shrinkradar.com/shrinkflation-index/paper-towels/, accessed 2026-11-05. Data: ShrinkRadar case library; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U.
More on paper towels
- ShrinkRadar Index: all categories →Every category, country, month and year, with CSV downloads.
- Paper towel shrinkflation →Every documented case in one place, brand by brand.
- All Paper Towels cases and tracked products →Size Facts, brands caught most often and products we check daily.
- shrinkflation-index.csv →Every Index figure, including this category, with case counts and a status column for thin rows.
Other categories in the Index
- Chocolate and candy +20.0% vs +8.7%
- Pasta, rice and meals +16.4% vs −0.7%
- Chips and snacks +19.5% vs +4.7%
- Dairy +11.1% vs +4.8%
- Breakfast cereal +25.0% vs +2.6%
- Laundry +14.5% vs +2.0%
- Coffee and tea +25.0% vs +11.6%
- Cookies and crackers +21.2% vs +1.3%
- Meat and fish +19.3% vs +3.0%
- Personal Care +27.9% vs +1.6%
- Soap, shampoo and body wash +21.4% vs +1.9%
- Dish soap and cleaners +11.1% vs +1.7%
- Juice and soft drinks +33.2% vs +5.0%
- Frozen Foods +16.9% vs +3.8%
- Baking goods and spreads +25.1% vs +2.8%
- Pet Food +17.6% vs +1.9%
- Bread and bakery +16.0% vs +1.6%
- Toilet Paper +29.4% vs +28.8%
- Health and supplements +15.2% vs +3.2%
- Ice Cream +9.5% vs +6.6%
Closest to a figure (priced cases with an official match now, of 5 needed): Baby 4, needs 1 more; Household 4, needs 1 more; Oral Care 4, needs 1 more; Tissues 4, needs 1 more; Feminine Care 3, needs 2 more; Shaving & Razors 2, needs 3 more; Cat Litter & Pet Supplies 1, needs 4 more; Deodorant 1, needs 4 more; Bags, Foil & Wrap 0, needs 5 more.