The Grocery Price Index
Beer, malt beverages
U.S. city average · May 2026
Beer averaged $1.88 per 16 oz in May 2026, up 1.1% from last month and up 2.3% from last year, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average price data.
July 1995 – May 2026 · 370 monthly observations · Source: BLS series APU0000720111.
Beer prices rose 1.1% from April to May 2026 and are 2.3% higher than a year ago. Prices remain at their May 2026 high but well above their 1995 level of $0.80.
What drives the price of beer
Beer is a manufactured product, so its shelf price is driven less by farm-commodity swings than by the cost of making and packaging it. Brewers buy malting barley and hops, but grain is a small slice of the finished cost; aluminum for cans, glass, cardboard, energy, and labor weigh more, and large brewers contract and hedge their inputs, so retail prices tend to grind upward slowly and rarely fall. Layered on top are federal and state excise taxes on alcohol — fixed per-volume charges baked into the price — and because the category is heavily branded, competition and promotion shape the final number as much as any single ingredient.
BLS series APU0000720111 tracks the average retail price of beer, malt beverages at the U.S. city average, measured per 16 oz and reported monthly back to 1995.
Background: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service — Corn and Other Feed Grains · U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau — Beer. Price data: BLS series APU0000720111.
Frequently asked questions
How much does 16 ounces of beer cost right now?
As of May 2026, beer averaged $1.88 per 16 oz at the national U.S. city average, per BLS CPI Average Price Data.
Are beer prices going down in 2026?
The latest 2026 BLS reading shows beer prices up 1.1% versus the prior month and up 2.3% versus a year ago (May 2026).
What is the highest price beer has reached?
The record high is $1.88 per 16 oz, set in May 2026; the record low is $0.80 in September 1995.
Where does this beer price data come from?
From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Average Price Data program, retrieved via the BLS Public Data API. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.