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School lunch, eggs and airfare: Why inflation soared for 10 items in 2022



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David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesInflation popped in 2022 to a level unseen in four decades.But prices ballooned more rapidly for certain items than others, largely concentrated among food, fuel and airfare.Some of those swings were due to outlying factors that extended beyond broad inflationary pressures such as snarled supply chains, labor shortages, burgeoning consumer demand and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Here’s a look at the 10 items with the largest price gains, as measured by the annual inflation rate in December. Percentages are from the latest consumer price index data, issued Thursday.Food at school: 305.2%The price of a meal at elementary and secondary schools spiked the most in 2022, by a whopping 305%.In the early days of the pandemic, the federal government enacted a program offering free meals to all public-school students, regardless of family income. That program — which expanded an existing one for lower-income families — ended Sept. 30.Overall food prices have been pressured on many fronts, too, funneling into school meals.For example, respective annual inflation rates for groceries and meals away from home hit 13.5% and 8% in August — their highest since 1971 and 1981, respectively.Rus …

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