Real Time Food Prices: Global Weekly Prices with ML Estimates

Real Time Prices (RTP) is a live dataset compiled and updated weekly by the World Bank. It combines direct price measurement with Machine Learning estimation for missing data, using sources like the World Food Program and UN-FAO. The dataset includes three sub-series covering food, energy, and exchange rates, with unofficial deflators.

Use Cases

• Model food price inflation based on country-specific staple food prices.
• Analyze fuel price volatility using the Real Time Energy Prices sub-series.
• Track unofficial exchange rates and deflators for economic research.
• Forecast market trends using the weekly updated, machine-learning-augmented price data.

Strengths

• Updated weekly, with the last update recorded on 2026-03-15.
• Combines direct measurement with machine learning estimation to address data gaps.
• Aggregates price information from multiple authoritative sources like WFP and FAO.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

World Bank Development Economics Data Group (DECDG).

Collection Method

Combination of direct price measurement and Machine Learning estimation, using data from WFP, FAO, and National Statistical Offices.

Time Range

Historical and current estimates, updated weekly.

Freshness

Weekly updates.

Geography

Global.