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Banana prices by year

A pound of bananas averaged $0.65 in U.S. cities in 2025, up from $0.34 in 1980. In minutes of work at the average wage it went from 3.0 to 1.2.

The chart

$0$0.20$0.40$0.60$0.8019801990200020102020$0.651980: $0.34, 3.0 min of work1981: $0.36, 2.9 min of work1982: $0.35, 2.7 min of work1983: $0.39, 2.9 min of work1984: $0.36, 2.5 min of work1985: $0.37, 2.5 min of work1986: $0.38, 2.6 min of work1987: $0.36, 2.4 min of work1988: $0.42, 2.7 min of work1989: $0.45, 2.8 min of work1990: $0.46, 2.7 min of work1991: $0.48, 2.7 min of work1992: $0.46, 2.6 min of work1993: $0.44, 2.4 min of work1994: $0.46, 2.4 min of work1995: $0.49, 2.5 min of work1996: $0.49, 2.4 min of work1997: $0.49, 2.4 min of work1998: $0.49, 2.3 min of work1999: $0.49, 2.2 min of work2000: $0.50, 2.1 min of work2001: $0.51, 2.1 min of work2002: $0.51, 2.0 min of work2003: $0.51, 2.0 min of work2004: $0.50, 1.9 min of work2005: $0.49, 1.8 min of work2006: $0.50, 1.8 min of work2007: $0.51, 1.8 min of work2008: $0.61, 2.0 min of work2009: $0.61, 2.0 min of work2010: $0.58, 1.8 min of work2011: $0.61, 1.9 min of work2012: $0.60, 1.8 min of work2013: $0.60, 1.8 min of work2014: $0.60, 1.7 min of work2015: $0.58, 1.7 min of work2016: $0.57, 1.6 min of work2017: $0.56, 1.5 min of work2018: $0.57, 1.5 min of work2019: $0.57, 1.5 min of work2020: $0.58, 1.4 min of work2021: $0.60, 1.4 min of work2022: $0.64, 1.4 min of work2023: $0.63, 1.3 min of work2024: $0.62, 1.2 min of work2025: $0.65, 1.2 min of work
Annual U.S. city average in the dollars of each year. Every year is in the table below.

Every year

YearPriceChangeWork
2025$0.65+5%1.2 min
2024$0.62-2%1.2 min
2023$0.63-2%1.3 min
2022$0.64+7%1.4 min
2021$0.60+3%1.4 min
2020$0.58+2%1.4 min
2019$0.57+0%1.5 min
2018$0.57+2%1.5 min
2017$0.56-2%1.5 min
2016$0.57-2%1.6 min
2015$0.58-3%1.7 min
2014$0.60+0%1.7 min
2013$0.60+0%1.8 min
2012$0.60-2%1.8 min
2011$0.61+5%1.9 min
2010$0.58-5%1.8 min
2009$0.61+0%2.0 min
2008$0.61+20%2.0 min
2007$0.51+2%1.8 min
2006$0.50+2%1.8 min
2005$0.49-2%1.8 min
2004$0.50-2%1.9 min
2003$0.51+0%2.0 min
2002$0.51+0%2.0 min
2001$0.51+2%2.1 min
2000$0.50+2%2.1 min
1999$0.49+0%2.2 min
1998$0.49+0%2.3 min
1997$0.49+0%2.4 min
1996$0.49+0%2.4 min
1995$0.49+7%2.5 min
1994$0.46+5%2.4 min
1993$0.44-4%2.4 min
1992$0.46-4%2.6 min
1991$0.48+4%2.7 min
1990$0.46+2%2.7 min
1989$0.45+7%2.8 min
1988$0.42+17%2.7 min
1987$0.36-5%2.4 min
1986$0.38+3%2.6 min
1985$0.37+3%2.5 min
1984$0.36-8%2.5 min
1983$0.39+11%2.9 min
1982$0.35-3%2.7 min
1981$0.36+6%2.9 min
1980$0.343.0 min

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Average Price Data, series APU0000711211 (Bananas, per lb. (453.6 gm), U.S. city average). Each year is the mean of its monthly averages; years with fewer than ten months published are left out. Work is minutes at the BLS average hourly earnings of production and nonsupervisory employees. Not adjusted for inflation.

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Answered

What year were banana prices highest?
2025, when a pound of bananas averaged $0.65 in U.S. cities (per lb), counting the years shown on this page.
When was a pound of bananas cheapest in work time?
2024. At $0.62 and that year's average hourly wage, it took about 1.2 minutes of work. It took the longest in 1980, about 3.0 minutes.
What was the biggest one-year jump?
2008, up +20% on the year before to $0.61.

Play with it

Then & Now asks what one of these items cost in an earlier year, and Price Year shows a receipt and asks for the year. For how this item compares with the rest, read only three groceries got harder to buy since 1980. Other items: egg, white bread, gas, ground beef, bacon, cheddar cheese, ice cream, coffee, potato chip, chicken, chocolate chip cookie, tomato, sugar, orange juice.