Rarely absent from French tables, the baguette has seen a very significant increase in prices for several years now. With these prices constantly increasing, how is Nice doing?
It has only been 46 years since each bakery has been free to set its prices. Before 1978, the various institutions at the head of the country were responsible for defining the amounts to be paid based on quality. But the government of Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, by decree, then left the choice to professionals to calibrate their prices themselves.
This particularly applies to bread, a commodity that millions of French people love and consume daily. Nearly 75% of our fellow citizens buy them every day! They have certainly noticed that this flagship product, belonging to UNESCO’s intangible heritage since November 30, 2022, has experienced extremely significant inflation in recent years. Today, it is becoming more and more difficult to find them for less than one euro.
Marseille, the exception?
The report shared by Hello Fresh this month clearly demonstrates this. The cost of the baguette has never stopped increasing, while its weight has decreased (from 300 to 250 grams). In 2001, the standard rate was 66 cents. From 2012 to 2020, it remains stable, still reaching 90 cents. On the other hand, it has experienced a notable increase of 6% in recent years, rising to 93 cents in 2022.
Today, in large municipalities, you have to pay the least 1.03 euros to leave with your baguette under your arm. The only exception is Marseille, where it is still offered at 97 cents, according to a study dating from September 2024. Among the ten largest localities in the country, no one offers such a low amount.
Nice average
In Nantes (1.03 euros), Toulouse (1.04 euros) and Lyon (1.05 euros), you must bring extra change. Montpellier (1.06 euros) and Nice (1.07) are a little higher, but it is in Lille, Bordeaux, Strasbourg and Paris that bread is the most expensive.
The four cities display prices greater than or equal to 1.1 euros. In Paris and Strasbourg, we even reach 1.19, with a record in the capital at 1.45 euros! Prices which can be explained by various increases: salaries (+48%), production costs (electricity, wheat flour, etc.), but also rents (+11%) and taxes (+6%).
So, you often have to make a choice. As UFC Que Choisir explained last year, the cheapest prices are found in supermarkets. In supermarkets, the white baguette sold on average for 0.65 euros, compared to 1.06 euros in your bakery. For tradition, count 1.02 and 1.22 euros respectively.
But this hides a lesser quality that the barometer pointed out. Beyond taste, even if there is progress, it is mainly because industrial bread was frequently too salty and insufficiently rich in fiber. An observation made by 60 Million Consumers on March 2023.
