Hong Kong Wholesale Food Prices Analysis
Historical Price Trends and Market Dynamics
ML, Cursor AI, Claude.ai (date format fix)
2025-11-04
Executive Summary
This report provides analysis of wholesale food prices in Hong Kong for the past 12 months, based on historical data collected by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD). The analysis covers price trends, variability across food categories, and market dynamics over time.
Dataset Overview
The dataset contains 11662 records of wholesale food prices, with 10622 records (91.1%) containing valid price information. The data spans 343 days from November 03, 2024 to October 29, 2025, covering 35 unique food items across 5 food categories.
Price Analysis by Category
Summary Statistics
| Food Category | Observations | Mean | Median | Std Dev | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marine fish | 3390 | 54.04 | 51.0 | 24.86 | 13.00 | 99.00 |
| Livestock / Poultry | 1279 | 26.72 | 24.4 | 13.17 | 8.47 | 51.24 |
| Freshwater fish | 1026 | 20.44 | 19.7 | 1.85 | 18.40 | 23.00 |
| Vegetables | 4243 | 6.55 | 5.8 | 3.21 | 1.40 | 30.70 |
| Eggs | 684 | 0.98 | 1.0 | 0.12 | 0.80 | 1.25 |
Price Distribution Visualization
Price Distribution by Food Category (Boxplot showing median, quartiles, and outliers)
Average Price Comparison
Average Wholesale Price by Food Category
Key Finding: The highest average category price is $54.04 (Marine fish), while the lowest is $0.98 (Eggs), representing a 55.1x price difference.
Price Trends Over Time
Average Category Price Trends Over Time
Top and Bottom Priced Items
Most Expensive Items
| Food Item | Category | Average Price (HKD) | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big eyes | Marine fish | 94.97 | 339 |
| Yellow croaker | Marine fish | 85.53 | 339 |
| Golden thread | Marine fish | 76.03 | 339 |
| Mackerel | Marine fish | 57.88 | 339 |
| Breams | Marine fish | 51.37 | 339 |
| Live cattle | Livestock / Poultry | 49.60 | 251 |
| Hairtail | Marine fish | 49.57 | 339 |
| Horse head | Marine fish | 46.67 | 339 |
| Filefish | Marine fish | 44.14 | 339 |
| Live chicken | Livestock / Poultry | 25.52 | 685 |
Least Expensive Items
| Food Item | Category | Average Price (HKD) | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown-shelled egg (medium) Mainland | Eggs | 0.86 | 342 |
| Brown-shelled egg (medium) USA | Eggs | 1.09 | 342 |
| Potato | Vegetables | 3.72 | 328 |
| Chinese Lettuce | Vegetables | 4.08 | 329 |
| White Cabbage | Vegetables | 4.42 | 329 |
| Green Cabbage | Vegetables | 4.47 | 328 |
| Water Spinach | Vegetables | 5.24 | 167 |
| Tomato | Vegetables | 5.56 | 328 |
| Flowering Cabbage | Vegetables | 5.91 | 329 |
| Chinese Kale | Vegetables | 6.19 | 328 |
Visualization: Top 20 Most Expensive Items
Top 20 Most Expensive Food Items
Price Volatility Analysis
Understanding Coefficient of Variation (CV)
The Coefficient of Variation (CV) is a standardized measure of price volatility that allows for meaningful comparison across items with different price levels. It is calculated as:
\[CV = \frac{\sigma}{\mu}\]
Where: - \(\sigma\) = Standard deviation of prices - \(\mu\) = Mean price
Interpretation: - CV < 0.15: Low volatility (relatively stable prices) - 0.15 ≤ CV < 0.35: Moderate volatility - CV ≥ 0.35: High volatility (prices fluctuate significantly)
A higher CV indicates greater price variability relative to the mean price, making it useful for comparing volatility between expensive and inexpensive items.
Most Volatile Items
| Food Item | Category | Mean Price (HKD) | Std Dev | CV | Price Range | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Celery | Vegetables | 7.474 | 2.645 | 0.354 | 16.1 | 328 |
| Green Cabbage | Vegetables | 4.467 | 1.540 | 0.345 | 9.5 | 328 |
| Chrysanthemum Garland | Vegetables | 9.041 | 3.098 | 0.343 | 19.0 | 137 |
| Spinach | Vegetables | 7.301 | 2.163 | 0.296 | 12.1 | 328 |
| Water Cress | Vegetables | 7.798 | 2.113 | 0.271 | 15.9 | 161 |
| Pea Shoot | Vegetables | 16.850 | 4.554 | 0.270 | 22.4 | 161 |
| Flowering Cabbage | Vegetables | 5.912 | 1.543 | 0.261 | 7.1 | 329 |
| White Cabbage | Vegetables | 4.416 | 1.095 | 0.248 | 7.2 | 329 |
| Broccoli | Vegetables | 8.946 | 2.107 | 0.236 | 12.9 | 328 |
| Water Spinach | Vegetables | 5.238 | 1.154 | 0.220 | 6.6 | 167 |
Visualization: Price Volatility
Price Volatility (Coefficient of Variation) - Top 15 Items
Key Finding: The most volatile item is European Celery with a CV of 0.35 , indicating high price volatility.
Data Quality Assessment
Missing Data Analysis
Percentage of Missing Price Data by Category
Data Completeness: Overall, 91.1% of records contain valid price data. Missing prices may indicate no supply on that date, item unavailability from source, or unreported data.
Key Insights and Conclusions
Summary of Findings
Price Variation Across Categories: Significant price differences exist between food categories, with the highest average category (Marine fish) priced at 55.1x the lowest category (Eggs).
Price Volatility: Food items show varying levels of price volatility, with 1 items showing high volatility (CV ≥ 0.35).
Data Quality: The dataset maintains 91.1% data completeness, providing a robust foundation for analysis.
Temporal Coverage: The 343-day coverage enables analysis of price trends and seasonal patterns.
Appendix
Food Items Reference
The following table lists all unique food items grouped by category, arranged by price (highest to lowest within each category). Each item shows its English name, Chinese name, latest observed price, and price range over the analysis period.
| Category | Food Item | 食品種類 | Latest Price | Price Range | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs | Brown-shelled egg (medium) USA | 美國啡蛋 (中裝) | $ 1.10 | $ 1.08 - $ 1.10 | 195 |
| Eggs | Brown-shelled egg (medium) USA | 美國啡蛋 (中裝) | $ 1.09 | $ 1.08 - $ 1.25 | 147 |
| Eggs | Brown-shelled egg (medium) Mainland | 內地啡蛋 (中) | $ 0.89 | $ 0.87 - $ 0.92 | 147 |
| Eggs | Brown-shelled egg (medium) Mainland | 內地啡蛋 (中) | $ 0.81 | $ 0.80 - $ 0.89 | 195 |
| Freshwater fish | Mud carp | 鯪魚 | $23.00 | $22.00 - $23.00 | 342 |
| Freshwater fish | Big head | 大魚 | $19.90 | $19.20 - $19.90 | 342 |
| Freshwater fish | Grass carp | 鯇魚 | $18.80 | $18.40 - $18.80 | 342 |
| Livestock / Poultry | Live cattle | 活牛 | $48.88 | $47.25 - $51.24 | 251 |
| Livestock / Poultry | Live chicken | 活雞 | $15.70 | $15.70 - $35.00 | 685 |
| Livestock / Poultry | Live pig | 活豬 | $ 8.84 | $ 8.47 - $23.88 | 343 |
| Marine fish | Big eyes | 木棉(大眼雞) | $90.00 | $85.00 - $99.00 | 339 |
| Marine fish | Yellow croaker | 黃花 | $90.00 | $68.00 - $96.00 | 339 |
| Marine fish | Golden thread | 紅衫 | $73.00 | $70.00 - $81.00 | 339 |
| Marine fish | Mackerel | 鮫魚 | $59.00 | $52.00 - $61.00 | 339 |
| Marine fish | Hairtail | 牙帶 | $51.00 | $44.00 - $54.00 | 339 |
| Marine fish | Breams | 立魚 | $50.00 | $49.00 - $53.00 | 339 |
| Marine fish | Filefish | 沙鯭 | $48.00 | $41.00 - $48.00 | 158 |
| Marine fish | Filefish | 沙? | $46.00 | $43.00 - $50.00 | 181 |
| Marine fish | Horse head | 馬頭 | $45.00 | $43.00 - $50.00 | 339 |
| Marine fish | Croakers | 或魚 | $18.00 | $13.00 - $19.00 | 339 |
| Marine fish | Scads | 池魚 | $18.00 | $13.00 - $21.00 | 339 |
| Vegetables | Pea Shoot | 荳苗 | $15.00 | $ 8.30 - $30.70 | 161 |
| Vegetables | Broccoli | 西蘭花 | $10.00 | $ 4.70 - $17.60 | 328 |
| Vegetables | European Celery | 西芹 | $10.00 | $ 2.70 - $18.80 | 328 |
| Vegetables | Flowering Cabbage | 菜芯 | $ 8.50 | $ 3.50 - $10.60 | 329 |
| Vegetables | Chinese Kale | 芥蘭 | $ 8.00 | $ 3.50 - $ 9.80 | 328 |
| Vegetables | Water Cress | 西洋菜 | $ 7.80 | $ 3.70 - $19.60 | 161 |
| Vegetables | Tomato | 蕃茄 | $ 7.50 | $ 3.40 - $ 8.20 | 328 |
| Vegetables | Yard-long bean, white | 白豆角 | $ 7.50 | $ 4.50 - $11.10 | 167 |
| Vegetables | Water Spinach | 通菜 | $ 6.00 | $ 3.30 - $ 9.90 | 167 |
| Vegetables | Green Cabbage | 青白菜 | $ 5.50 | $ 2.10 - $11.60 | 328 |
| Vegetables | Chinese Lettuce | 唐生菜 | $ 5.00 | $ 2.10 - $11.10 | 329 |
| Vegetables | Spinach | 菠菜 | $ 5.00 | $ 3.00 - $15.10 | 328 |
| Vegetables | White Cabbage | 白菜 | $ 4.50 | $ 1.40 - $ 8.60 | 329 |
| Vegetables | Chinese Spinach | 莧菜 | $ 3.50 | $ 3.50 - $13.50 | 167 |
| Vegetables | Potato | 薯仔 | $ 3.50 | $ 2.50 - $ 7.80 | 328 |
| Vegetables | Chrysanthemum Garland | 茼萵 | $ 3.00 | $ 3.00 - $22.00 | 137 |
Report generated on: 2025-11-04
Data source: Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation
Department (AFCD) of Hong Kong
Analysis period: November 03, 2024 to October 29,
2025