Christmas Eve will become more expensive again this year. The rise in the price of cod, chocolate and turkey increases the price of a basket of traditional products for this festive season by more than 5%, compared to the amount paid a year earlier, according to the Portuguese Association for Defense of the Consumer (Deco).

The Christmas basket, which served as the basis for Deco's calculations, includes 16 products: extra virgin olive oil, cabbage, DOC Alentejo white wine, carolino rice, turkey leg, red potato, traditional carcass, eggs, cooking oil, pineapple, semi-skimmed UHT milk, cake flour, DOC Douro red wine, chocolate bar for cooking, large cod and white sugar.

This same basket, which cost €50.80 on December 20, 2023, on December 18, cost €53.36. In other words, in the space of a year, the prices of these products increased by 2.58 euros, or 5.09%. The National Statistics Institute (INE) confirmed last week that the annual inflation rate accelerated to 2.5% in November.

The chocolate bar was the product that rose the most in the last year, registering an increase of 41% (82 cents), from €1.86 to €2.68.

The list of products that have become more expensive in the last year includes two products that cannot be missed on the Christmas table in Portugal: turkey and cod. Both saw prices rise 18% and, in the case of cod, in the last week alone, this product became 8% more expensive. Even if the year-on-year increases are identical, cod is what will weigh the most on families' wallets. While last year it cost €12.84 in this basket, now it costs €15.05, plus €2.21. The cost of turkey increased by 78 cents, to €5.11.

Conversely, the price of white sugar, cabbage and carolino rice fell compared to the same period last year. Sweetening Christmas desserts will be cheaper by 28%, or 49 cents, with the price of sugar currently at 1.24 euros. Cabbage and rice cost 20% and 10% less than last year, respectively.