United States: bread costs 43% more in dollars but less in minutes of work
A pound of white bread cost $1.37 in 2010 and $1.97 in 2024, but average hourly pay rose faster: bread now takes 3.4 minutes of work, not 3.6; a gallon of milk 6.8, not 8.7.
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The sticker price rose, but average hourly pay rose faster. These products therefore take fewer minutes of that work.
One percentage scale relative to 2010: 0% is the starting value, +100% is a doubling, −50% is a halving. Lines show the yearly path; on a short screen, bars show the change to 2024. Equal distances mean equal relative changes. For shares, this is relative change, not percentage points. Gaps are not filled; original values and units are below.
- White pan bread: US average price US dollars per pound
1.373 (2010) → 1.97 (2024)
- White pan bread: minutes at mean hourly pay minutes per product unit
3.65 (2010) → 3.37 (2024)
- Whole milk: US average price US dollars per US gallon
3.259 (2010) → 3.984 (2024)
- Whole milk: minutes at mean hourly pay minutes per product unit
8.66 (2010) → 6.82 (2024)
Published 2010 and 2024 values. No gap filling. Change is a difference in values or 100 × (end / start − 1). No causal effect is estimated.
Bread: white, per pound; milk: whole, per US gallon. Minutes = 60 × price / average gross private-sector hourly earnings; annual values average 12 months. Earnings are seasonally adjusted; prices are not. This is neither median pay nor affordability for every household.
A question for this picture
Which products became dearer in both dollars and work minutes?