The Chip Shrinkflation Tracker
Last checked 27 October 2026Same price, fewer crisps. Every case below links to its source.
Shrinkflation is when a pack gets smaller while the price stays the same or rises. This is a curated log of chip and crisp cases reported by consumer groups and the press, with the old and new size, the year and the source. It lists 11 cases so far; the change percentages are worked out from the sizes shown. Seen a pack shrink? Tell us.
The Log
| Product | Country | Before | After | Change | Year | Notes & source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lay's Max chips | Netherlands | 300 g | 275 g | -8.3% | 2025 | Consumentenbond (via ShrinkRadar) |
| Lay's Bugles Paprika-Style | Germany | 95 g | 75 g | -21.1% | 2024 | Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg (via ShrinkRadar) |
| Pringles Original can | Germany | 185 g | 165 g | -10.8% | 2024 | Same €2.49 price at REWE. Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg (via our Pringles Index source notes) |
| Lay's Sour Cream & Onion, party size | United States | 14.75 oz | 12.5 oz | -15.3% | 2024 | LendingTree (via ShrinkRadar) |
| Lay's Kartoffelchips Paprika | Germany | 175 g | 150 g | -14.3% | 2022 | Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg (via ShrinkRadar) |
| Walkers Variety multipack | United Kingdom | 24 bags | 22 bags | -8.3% | 2021 | Price stayed at £3.50. Each bag got 1.2 g heavier, but the multipack is 16 g lighter overall. The Mirror, 4 Oct 2021 |
| Smiths Frazzles and Chipsticks multipacks | United Kingdom | 8 packs | 6 packs | -25.0% | 2021 | Still £1. The Mirror, 4 Oct 2021 |
| KP Space Raiders multipack | United Kingdom | 8 packs | 6 packs | -25.0% | 2021 | Still £1. The Mirror, 4 Oct 2021 |
| Roysters T-Bone Steak multipack | United Kingdom | 6 bags | 5 bags | -16.7% | 2021 | Still £1. The Mirror, 4 Oct 2021 |
| Lay's Potato Chips | United States | 15.25 oz | 13 oz | -14.8% | 2020 | Mouseprint (via ShrinkRadar) |
| Doritos Sharing bag | United Kingdom | 200 g | 180 g | -10.0% | by 2017 | The Guardian, 24 Jul 2017 |
Pack counts (multipacks) are shown where the source reports bags rather than grams. ShrinkRadar entries link to its Lay’s page, which cites the original consumer-group or press source shown in brackets.
The Bigger Picture
- In 2017 the UK Office for National Statistics counted 2,529 products in its price samples that had shrunk over the previous five years, 2,006 of them food items. It said the effect on overall inflation was not discernible. Source: The Guardian, 24 Jul 2017 (reporting ONS analysis)
- A 2024 analysis found that UK crisp packets had shrunk by 17% by weight over the preceding decade. Source: The Conversation (citing a 2024 analysis)
Comparing prices across countries instead? See the Pringles Index, which compares every country per 100 g.
FAQs
What is shrinkflation?
Shrinkflation is when a product gets smaller, or a multipack loses items, while the price stays the same or rises, so you pay more per gram.
Have Lay's bags got smaller?
Yes, in several markets. For example, Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg recorded German Lay's Paprika going from 175 g to 150 g in 2022, and Mouseprint recorded a US Lay's bag going from 15.25 oz to 13 oz in 2020 (both via ShrinkRadar).
What is the biggest chip shrinkflation case in the log?
Smiths Frazzles and Chipsticks multipacks (United Kingdom, 2021), which went from 8 packs to 6 packs, a change of -25.0%.