Easter basket becomes more expensive for the second year in a row: economist explained the reasons
Kyiv • UNN
The cost of the Easter basket increased by 16.8% due to fuel and exchange rates. Meat, dairy products, and ingredients for paska (Easter bread) have risen in price the most.
In Ukraine, the cost of the Easter basket is increasing for the second year in a row. Ivan Us, Candidate of Economic Sciences, chief consultant of the National Institute for Strategic Studies, told UNN journalist more about what to expect from prices in the future and what caused such a "jump" in food prices.
What has risen in price the most
According to a study by the National Scientific Center "Institute of Agrarian Economics", the main price increase occurred for key festive table products. In particular, homemade paskha (Easter bread) rose in price to UAH 266.89 per kilogram, which is 14.6% more than in 2025.
This is due to the increase in the cost of ingredients: eggs rose by 19.3%, butter - by 6.8%, milk - by 49.6%, flour - by 38.6%, yeast - by 12.8%, raisins - by 14.1%. At the same time, sugar fell in price by 18%, but this did not compensate for the overall price increase.
The most expensive part of the basket remains, of course, meat products. Half a kilogram of homemade sausage now costs about UAH 287.5 (+35.3% per year), baked ham - UAH 353 (+16.5%), while lard has almost not changed in price - about UAH 123 per 0.5 kg.
How much do other products cost?
According to information from the National Scientific Center "Institute of Agrarian Economics", dairy products have also risen in price. Half a kilogram of hard cheese costs about UAH 298, butter - UAH 292, soft cheese - UAH 157.5. Soft cheese increased the most in price - by 31.3%.
Other components of the basket have less impact on the total amount. Horseradish costs about UAH 31 per 200 g, salt - UAH 6-7.
And if you add vegetables, fruits, and wine to the basket, its cost will increase to UAH 2347.94, which is 16.8% more than last year. In particular, tomatoes rose in price to UAH 187-278 per kilogram, cucumbers - to UAH 175-275, and apples - approximately UAH 25 per half a kilogram. In addition, a bottle of Cahors currently costs about UAH 189.
Why are prices for food and other goods rising?
Candidate of Economic Sciences Ivan Us believes that the rise in world oil prices has become one of the key drivers of the increase in prices for various goods in Ukraine. This directly affected the cost of fuel, and therefore - the logistics of goods. This is most noticeable in products that are transported over long distances.
Another factor is the weakening of the national currency, the expert says. Because of this, imports become more expensive, and with them, products that depend on foreign components. Even minor exchange rate fluctuations can affect the final price for the consumer.
Now there is a depreciation of the national currency. That is, a unit of import becomes more expensive. If something cost 10 dollars at an exchange rate of 43, it was 430 hryvnias, and now it is 440. That is, here you go, 10 hryvnias have been added to the price purely due to the factor of the depreciation of the national currency. And plus, if this is also a global trend of rising prices, then this further pushes the cost up.
Despite the fact that most of the products in the Easter basket are of Ukrainian production, they are also becoming more expensive. The economist explains that this is due to both the general market trend and the desire of sellers to increase profits. In addition, production also often depends on imported resources.
Eggs, dairy, meat, sugar are domestic products. But there is another factor: the general trend of rising prices pushes up retailers as well. They say: "Everyone has increased prices, let's increase them too." That is, to earn more. This motivation has not disappeared and it also affects the growth of the Easter basket.
Separately, the expert drew attention to the sharp rise in egg prices. Ivan Us explained that although it is a Ukrainian product, its cost depends on imported components, in particular, feed and equipment, and this partly explains the significant increase in the price of this product.
It would seem that eggs are our product. But the compound feeds used are foreign. The equipment is also foreign. Also, if the currency depreciates, this also affects the cost of production. And as a result, the price of the product itself increases.
The situation is also affected by the general state of the economy and trade, the expert explains. Ukraine records a significant negative balance - this is when imports exceed exports. The economist notes that this also creates additional pressure on the hryvnia and prices.
When you buy more than you sell, you have a negative balance. In Ukraine, it is a record - minus 8.2 billion dollars in two months. This is a very significant drawdown and it affects the exchange rate. The budget includes an average exchange rate of 45.7 hryvnias per dollar, and it is quite possible that it may even reach 46.
In addition, before Easter, prices may traditionally rise even further, as there is increased demand and sellers' expectations of higher profits. At the same time, Ivan Us claims that after the holidays, the cost of products may decrease.
From life experience, I think there will be further growth. Closer to Easter, entrepreneurs understand that there will be high demand, and they can raise prices. After Easter, prices will go down because demand falls. If they don't sell the products, it will be their losses.
Thus, the increase in the cost of the Easter basket has complex reasons. Both global economic factors and internal market processes and seasonal demand have an impact.