The supermarket aisles are filled with lights, nougats and festive aromas, but also with prices that are increasingly weighing on the pockets of Spaniards. Shopping for Christmas celebrations has become a real challenge for many households: those that usually make up Christmas meals and dinners increase at an unstoppable rate and preparing the table requires extra effort from families. Although general inflation seems more controlled than a few years ago, 2025 will be a year marked by the most notable in the last decade for some typical holiday foods.
This is reflected in the data from the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU), which notes widespread increases and, especially, historical highs in some traditional products on these dates. The increase in demand typical of Christmas once again coincides with a tighter supply, giving rise to a scenario that is directly transferred to household spending.
This is also the year of “expensive” meats, according to the OCU. If traditionally fish was the product that many families could not afford, on this occasion it is the round of beef, lamb, turkey or Iberian ham that reach the highest prices in the entire historical series. Along with them, two fruits that have gained prominence in festive menus, pineapple and pomegranate, are also at historic highs.
The evolution of prices in the last decade confirms the magnitude of the increase in prices. Since 2015, the accumulated increases have been around or exceed 100% in foods as representative of Christmas as (67.5 euros per kilo), clams (35.2 euros), elvers (1,249 euros per kilo) or lamb (23.85 euros). These are sustained increases over time, with few downward adjustments, which have ended up consolidating a structural change in the cost of the Christmas basket. In this period, only prawns have shown a more contained evolution, being the only one of the products analyzed that hardly increases in price in the long term.
Regarding meat, the latest data for the final stretch of 2025 reflect very significant increases compared to the previous year. The round of beef reaches 21.34 euros per kilo, which represents an increase of 21% compared to 2024. Lamb stands at 23.85 euros per kilo, after a year-on-year increase of 9%, consolidating itself as one of the products most affected by inflation and one of the most in demand at this time. The turkey registers an increase of 10% and reaches 7.21 euros, while the Iberian ham of bait stands at 71.71 euros, with an increase of 12% in just one year.
This behavior is directly related to the evolution of livestock supply, although it varies by neighborhood. In the case of sheep, production continues to decline, with around 100,000 tons of lamb and about 10,000 tons of goat, in a context marked by the effects of health problems that in recent months have affected different livestock production, such as avian flu or . Although Spain has enough production to supply the market throughout the year and even to export, Christmas continues to be a favorable period for the entry of products from abroad.
In this sense, animals from France and Italy arrive on the market, with weights similar to those from Spain, which are sold refrigerated or slaughtered in national slaughterhouses, especially in the northern half. Along with them, there is also a supply of heavier animals imported from countries like Australia, although their demand is very limited. In the case of beef, Spain is an importer at this time of certain cuts from countries such as Ireland, while in pork, the entries of chilled piglets from Central European countries stand out, intended to cover specific peaks in consumption. The pularda is around 9 euros per kilo and the turkey is around 7 euros this Christmas, relatively moderate increases of 30% in the last decade.
In fruits and vegetables, prices also reflect the pressure of the Christmas campaign. Pineapple stands at 1.89 euros per kilo in 2025, with a slight increase compared to 2024, but with a cumulative increase of 32% since 2015. Pomegranate reaches 3.19 euros per kilo after a year-on-year increase of 3%, also consolidating at historical highs. The red cabbage, one of the traditional products of these dates, presents a slight downward adjustment compared to the previous year, although it maintains prices clearly higher than those recorded a decade ago.
Of all the seas
They continue to be an essential part of Christmas tables, despite the high prices derived from reduced supply. Spain, although it is a producing country, is also a large importer, given the impossibility of covering internal demand with a sufficient supply of its own, not only at these dates, but throughout the year. The overexploitation of fishing grounds, the deterioration of fishing resources and the increasing difficulties in fishing both in community waters and in third countries limit the catches of many traditional species.
Throughout the year, but especially at Christmas, the tables of Spanish homes become a true compendium of origins. Despite the progress made by national aquaculture, both in the production of fish such as sea bass or sea bream, as well as mollusks and crustaceans, dependence on the outside world remains high. In the case of prawns and prawns, imports from countries such as Ecuador or North Africa stand out, as well as Turkey or Italy, while prawns arrive from different African countries and also from Argentina.
Products such as crab and sea ox maintain a limited presence of national origin, especially from the northern coasts and Galicia, although a good part of the product comes from countries such as Italy, the United Kingdom or Scotland. In addition to the national anchors, in clear decline, are those from Iceland. Lobsters arrive mainly from Canada, while lobster comes from countries such as Cuba or Mauritania and, to a lesser extent, from the Galician coast. In the case of barnacles, those of national origin, especially from the north, coexist with others from North Africa, mainly from Morocco.
Sea bass is around 11.75 euros per kilo and is 7% more expensive than last Christmas. Barnacles are sold at about 96 euros per kilo, somewhat lower than a year ago but 76% more expensive than in 2015. Prawns are still among the most affordable, with a price of about 11.2 euros per kilo.
Hake, traditionally associated with national coasts, currently reaches markets mainly from abroad, from different parts of Africa to the other side of the Atlantic, especially from countries such as Chile or Argentina. In the markets it is distinguished by its lower prices compared to the product of national or community origin and, above all, by the differences in its texture. Prices are somewhat lower than a year ago, about 16.5 euros per kilo, but they have risen 44% in the last decade.
