Guides / Statistics
Shrinkflation statistics
By ShrinkRadar · Updated 2026-10-17 · Computed from our live case library on every build
These numbers come from 713 documented shrinkflation cases: packs that got smaller while the price stayed the same or rose, each recorded by a consumer agency, consumer advocate or news report that we link. The typical pack lost 12.5% of its contents, which is a 14.3% hidden price rise per unit. Where the source also recorded the shelf price (412 cases), every one got more expensive per unit, by a median of 20.0%.
Cases only count once we can source them. See how these are counted.
By yearSize of the cutBy categoryBy countryBrandsPrice per unitSourcesFAQ
Shrinkflation cases by year
Documented cases by the year the pack changed (or was reported). The jump starts in 2020 and peaks in 2024. 2026 counts cases up to 2026-10-17 only. 17 older cases from 2008 to 2014 are left off the chart.
Cases and median cut by year (table)
| Year | Cases |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2016 | 8 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 42 |
| 2021 | 49 |
| 2022 | 101 |
| 2023 | 136 |
| 2024 | 146 |
| 2025 | 89 |
| 2026 | 99 |
The typical cut per year has ranged from −11.1% to −16.7%: 2018 −11.9%, 2020 −14.1%, 2021 −13.3%, 2022 −11.1%, 2023 −13.3%, 2024 −12.5%, 2025 −13.5%, 2026 −16.7% (median, years with 10 or more cases).
How much smaller do packs get?
Many cuts are small enough to miss on the shelf. 259 of 713 cases (36%) took away less than 10%, and the most common range is 5–10%. 146 cases (20%) cut 20% or more.
| Size cut | Cases |
|---|---|
| 0–5% | 28 |
| 5–10% | 231 |
| 10–15% | 156 |
| 15–20% | 152 |
| 20–25% | 17 |
| 25–30% | 61 |
| 30–40% | 43 |
| 40% or more | 25 |
A cut of x% raises the price per unit by x ÷ (100 − x) if the price stays put: 10% smaller is 11.1% dearer, 25% smaller is 33.3% dearer. Try it with the calculator.
What shrinks: weight 514 (72%), volume 100 (14%), count 99 (14%).
Shrinkflation by category
Chocolate & Candy leads with 129 cases. Bars show the number of cases; the median cut is how much the typical pack in that category lost.
| Category | Cases | Median cut |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate & Candy | 129 | −11.1% |
| Pasta, Rice & Meals | 51 | −20.0% |
| Dairy | 49 | −11.8% |
| Breakfast Cereals | 46 | −11.8% |
| Chips & Snacks | 46 | −12.9% |
| Coffee & Tea | 46 | −14.9% |
| Personal Care | 45 | −16.7% |
| Juice & Drinks | 34 | −12.8% |
| Baking & Spreads | 33 | −16.7% |
| Cookies & Crackers | 31 | −13.7% |
| Laundry | 31 | −10.0% |
| Toilet Paper | 28 | −9.5% |
| Meat & Fish | 23 | −14.3% |
| Dish & Cleaning | 21 | −9.6% |
| Tobacco & Alcohol | 15 | −11.8% |
| Frozen Foods | 14 | −13.2% |
| Ice Cream | 14 | −9.5% |
| Paper Towels | 12 | −9.1% |
| Oral Care | 10 | −15.8% |
| Health & Supplements | 9 | −20.0% |
| Pet Food | 8 | −14.2% |
| Tissues | 6 | −10.6% |
| Bread & Bakery | 4 | −9.5% |
| Household | 3 | −38.3% |
| Baby | 2 | −19.6% |
Deepest median cuts (categories with 8 or more cases): Pasta, Rice & Meals −20.0%, Health & Supplements −20.0%, Personal Care −16.7%, Baking & Spreads −16.7%, Oral Care −15.8%.
Shrinkflation by country
These counts show where shrinkflation gets recorded, not where it is worst. Germany is on top because Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg logs every case it confirms. The Netherlands has Consumentenbond, and in the US most cases come from the Mouse Print* archive and news reports.
| Country | Cases | Median cut |
|---|---|---|
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 335 | −16.7% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | 177 | −10.1% |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 58 | −10.1% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 56 | −13.4% |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 31 | −11.6% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 13 | −7.1% |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 11 | −10.0% |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 10 | −8.8% |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 5 | −20.0% |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | 5 | −12.5% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | 5 | −12.5% |
| 🇫🇷 France | 5 | −10.0% |
| 🇪🇺 Europe | 1 | −7.0% |
| 🇮🇳 India | 1 | −12.9% |
Brands caught most often
Brands and store brands with four or more cases. Big brands sell more products and get more press, so this is “caught most often”, not a rate. The full ranking is on worst offenders.
| Brand | Cases | Median cut |
|---|---|---|
| Cadbury | 19 | −9.5% |
| Aldi | 11 | −25.0% |
| Charmin | 9 | −7.7% |
| Ostmann | 9 | −31.6% |
| Jacobs | 7 | −20.0% |
| KitKat | 7 | −18.2% |
| Knorr | 7 | −13.3% |
| Dr. Oetker | 6 | −22.5% |
| Lorenz | 6 | −13.4% |
| Pringles | 6 | −7.8% |
| Rewe | 6 | −20.0% |
| Bounty | 5 | −10.9% |
| Costa | 5 | −14.0% |
| Dawn | 5 | −6.2% |
| Doritos | 5 | −6.4% |
Did the price per unit go up?
412 cases have the shelf price before and after, mostly from German and Dutch consumer agencies. All of them got more expensive per unit, with a median real increase of 20.0%. That is partly by design: Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg and Consumentenbond list a smaller pack when it ends up dearer per unit, so read this as how big the hidden rises are, not how often they happen.
| Real rise per unit | Cases |
|---|---|
| +0–10% | 73 |
| +10–20% | 154 |
| +20–30% | 74 |
| +30–50% | 75 |
| +50–100% | 29 |
| +100% or more | 7 |
The biggest real price hikes are listed on worst offenders.
Who reports shrinkflation
The ten sources behind the most cases. Every case page quotes and links its source.
| Source | Cases |
|---|---|
| vzhh.de | 335 |
| mouseprint.org | 119 |
| consumentenbond.nl | 56 |
| which.co.uk | 38 |
| lendingtree.com | 28 |
| choice.com.au | 20 |
| cbc.ca | 11 |
| theguardian.com | 11 |
| consumerreports.org | 10 |
| altroconsumo.it | 9 |
How these numbers are counted
One row in our library is one product whose pack got smaller, as recorded by one source (other sources reporting the same change are linked on the case page, not counted again). The cut is (1 − new size ÷ old size). The year is the year the source gives for the change. The real price change uses the shelf prices the source recorded. We do not estimate missing prices.
The library mixes sources with different habits, so compare shares and medians, not raw counts between countries. Figures update automatically when cases are added; see the latest additions. Download everything on open data (CSV/JSON, CC BY 4.0). Browse: all cases · best-known examples · 2026 · 2025 · 2024 · 2023 · 2022 · 2021 · 2020.
Cite as: ShrinkRadar, “Shrinkflation statistics”, https://shrinkradar.com/shrinkflation-statistics/, accessed 2026-10-17.
FAQ
How common is shrinkflation?
Very common in packaged groceries. We have documented 713 cases from 14 countries and 423 brands, each with a source, and they are only the cases that a consumer agency, advocate or reporter caught and published. The real number is much higher.
How much do products shrink on average?
The median documented pack got 12.5% smaller (mean 15.8%). That is a 14.3% price rise per gram, millilitre or sheet if the shelf price stayed the same. 259 cases (36%) cut less than 10%, small enough to go unnoticed, and 146 (20%) cut 20% or more.
Which products shrink the most?
By number of cases: chocolate & candy (129), pasta, rice & meals (51), dairy (49), breakfast cereals (46). By size of the cut, the deepest median cuts are in pasta, rice & meals (−20.0%), health & supplements (−20.0%), personal care (−16.7%).
Is shrinkflation getting worse?
Documented cases jumped from 2020 on: 2020: 42, 2021: 49, 2022: 101, 2023: 136, 2024: 146, 2025: 89, 2026: 99. The peak so far is 2024 with 146 cases. 2026 is only counted up to 2026-10-17, so it is not a full year yet. Part of the rise is more reporting, since agencies and newspapers started tracking shrinkflation closely during the 2021–2023 inflation spike.
Which country has the most shrinkflation?
In our library, Germany (335 cases), because Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg publishes every case it confirms. Among English-speaking markets: United States 177, United Kingdom 58, Australia 31, Canada 11, New Zealand 10. That reflects who reports cases, not a measured rate per country.
Does the price go down when the pack shrinks?
Not in our records. Where the source also recorded the shelf price (412 cases), every one got more expensive per unit, by a median of 20.0%. Most of these prices come from consumer agencies that log a pack only when it got dearer per unit, so this shows how big the hidden rises are, not how often a smaller pack comes with a fair price cut.
Can I use these statistics?
Yes. The whole case library is free to download as CSV or JSON under CC BY 4.0 on open data. Please cite "ShrinkRadar" and link this page or the case page.