As Australia grapples with the fallout of a cost-of-living crisis, it’s important for those conveniently shifting economic blame to supermarkets to consider the facts.

Despite what some assert, the retail price of food and groceries is not the key contributor to cost-of-living challenges. Thirteen interest rate rises since May 2022 have substantially increased the cost of housing; the cost of visiting the doctor and health insurance have gone up; and combined with high fuel and energy prices, these factors have affected Australian budgets the most.