Consumption. Fruit prices are rising compared to 2024, watermelon prices are exploding.

To meet the "five fruits and vegetables a day" recommendation, you need to get your menu going. This is what the Fruit and Vegetable Price Observatory, published Wednesday by Familles Rurales, reveals.

The consumer protection association pointed out that after a drop in average fruit prices between 2023 and 2024, the figures were on the rise again this year.

Half of the population 'gives up' food because of budget

The study is based on a basket of 9 fruits and 10 fresh vegetables, both conventional and organic, in order to give consumers some insight at a time when 1 in 2 people say they are "giving up" certain foods due to insufficient budget.

Looking at the fruit and vegetable basket as a whole, costs have stabilized since last year, with a very slight decrease of 0.4%. But if we look at fruit in particular, the increase compared to 2024 is significant.

In one year, the price of fruit has increased by +7% for organic and +2% for conventional. While some conventional fruits have seen their prices drop (-7% for cherries or -6% for bananas), those of peaches (+9%) and lemons (+26%) have exploded.

And what about watermelon? Organically, this fruit, which is nevertheless one of the most accessible on the market, "has recorded the most remarkable increase this year: +39%)

The weather may be one of the factors explaining this increase in fruit prices. "In the last days of May, gloomy weather reduced demand for fruit and vegetables, potentially triggering the start of a cyclical crisis for certain vegetables. The return of milder weather revived demand, causing prices to rise," the report highlights.

A staggering increase over 10 years

In June 2025, to comply with the PNNS (National Nutrition and Health Program) based on the basket of 9 fruits and 10 fresh, conventional and organic vegetables selected for the study, a family of 2 adults and 2 children had to spend between €133 and €254 (i.e. between 9.4% and 17.9% of a monthly net minimum wage)

By only retaining the 5 least expensive fruits and vegetables in this basket, the same family had to spend between €62 (for conventional fruits and vegetables) and €103 (organic profile) per month (i.e. between 4.4 and 7.3% of a monthly net minimum wage) to comply with the PNNS

Over 10 years, the increase in the price of fruit is +59% and +64% for vegetables +64%, while the change in the average salary per head is +27%.