A blow to the wallet: Beef prices have risen 60% year-on-year and are falling out of popular consumption.

While the government celebrates a slowdown in inflation , the reality on the shelves and in butcher shops tells a different story: beef prices rose again in April by 4.1% and have already accumulated a rise of 24.07% so far in 2025 , well above the general inflation estimated for that period, which barely reaches 8.6%. But the most alarming aspect is the year-on-year comparison: in the last 12 months, meat has become 60.1% more expensive , making it the food item that has increased the most.

The data comes from the Argentine Beef Promotion Institute ( Ipcva ), which surveys prices at 80 butcher shops and 40 supermarkets. According to its report, the average price of beef cuts last month was $11,465 . Although the increase was less than the 7.7% seen in March, it is still well above the rise in the cost of living that the government hopes to portray as an economic achievement.

The increase is due to a combination of factors: a drop in livestock supply due to adverse weather conditions and production decisions, and a recovery in profit margins after months in which product prices had lagged behind general inflation.

The impact was felt most strongly in the middle and lower income groups. The Ipcva report revealed that prices rose 5.1% in working-class neighborhoods, compared to 2.7% in areas with higher purchasing power. "Meat is not only becoming more expensive, but its access is also becoming more unequal," the sector warns.

There were also differences depending on the sales channel. While prices in butcher shops increased by 4.8% compared to March, in supermarkets the increase was 2.6% . This variability is due to both sales strategies and logistical conditions, but the end result is the same.

Among the cuts that increased the most were the ossobuco and shoulder ( 6.5% ), the rump ( 5.7% ), and the rump cap and roast beef ( 5.4% ). In contrast, those that had the smallest increases were the matambre ( 1% ), the flank ( 2.4% ), and the common meat ( 2.5% ).

Although chicken led the monthly increase in April with 10.7% , beef remains the main driver of sustained increases. In an economy that has yet to show clear signs of recovery, the rise in the most traditional staple in the Argentine diet is another blow to the wallet.