Office for National Statistics (ONS) has added houmous and alcohol-free beer to the basket of goods used to measure UK inflation for 2026, reflecting changing spending habits among British consumers.
The popular chickpea dip appears in the basket for the first time after statisticians identified increased spending and a wider range of options available on supermarket shelves.
Data from the Health Survey for England for 2024 suggests 24 per cent of adults haven’t drunk alcohol in the previous year, as Britons move to healthier lifestyles.
Alcohol-free beer has also been introduced following a surge in demand as more consumers opt for lower or no-alcohol alternatives.
The ONS maintains a basket of more than 750 goods and services designed to represent typical household spending across the UK.
Each year the list is updated to reflect changes in consumer behaviour, with items added or removed depending on how frequently they are purchased.
The latest additions suggest growing interest in health-conscious choices as part of everyday spending.
However, the biggest change to the inflation basket this year relates to how prices are collected rather than which products are included.
The ONS is introducing supermarket scanner data that will cover more than half of the grocery market.
Alcohol-free beer has also been introduced following a surge in demand
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Under the new system, thousands of prices previously collected manually in shops will be replaced by millions of price points gathered automatically from supermarket tills.
The approach allows statisticians to analyse not only the price of products but also the quantity consumers are buying.
This provides a clearer picture of how price changes affect spending patterns during the weekly shop.
The expanded use of retail data is expected to improve the accuracy of inflation measurements.
A shift towards healthy living has been reflected in changes to the way inflation is measured
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Several other goods and services have also been added to the basket to reflect evolving spending trends.
Pet grooming services are now included after demand rose steadily as owners increasingly seek specialised care for their animals beyond standard veterinary treatment.
Dashboard cameras have also been added, alongside motor homes, a category that had not previously appeared in the inflation basket despite growing consumer spending.
The ONS has also updated how it measures purchases of gift wrapping.
Sheets of wrapping paper have been replaced with rolls in order to better reflect how consumers typically buy the product.
The current Consumer Price Index
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ONS
Meanwhile, some items have been removed from the basket following a review of the way their prices were collected.
Hotel prices that were recorded one day in advance have been taken out of the index.
According to the ONS, these prices have proven difficult to track consistently because hotel rates often fluctuate significantly and can spike around major events.
Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell, said: “Since the pandemic many of us have tried to embrace healthier lifestyles and the proliferation of no- and low-alcohol options helped people change their drinking habits, especially as competition pushed brewers to serve up more quaffable choices.”
Maike Currie, vice president of personal finance at PensionBee, added: “Houmous in, hotels out – the inflation basket shows how Britain’s spending habits are shifting.”