Question

From 1980 to 2024, a Big Mac's price increased from $0.50 to $8, yet it lost 40% of its size.

Answer 1

This statement is primarily false; while the price of a Big Mac has significantly increased from the 1980s to today, the claim that it lost 40% of its size is untrue. A Big Mac cost around $0.50 in the early 1980s and currently costs significantly more, closer to $8 in many locations, which is a 40% price increase; however, it is not a 40% size decrease. While there may have been slight changes to the Big Mac's size over the years due to recipe adjustments, the claim of a 40% size reduction is untrue.

Sources:

https://www.cnbc.com/select/big-mac-index-what-you-need-to-know/#:~:text=Big%20Mac's%20Price%20Is%20Up,What%20You%20Need%20To%20Know&text=Well%20the%20price%20of%20a,over%20the%20last%2010%20years.&text=The%20burger%20now%20costs%20an,over%20the%20last%2010%20years.&text=Try%20a%20new%20budgeting%20technique.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/274326/big-mac-index-global-prices-for-a-big-mac/#:~:text=Big%20Mac%20index%20worldwide%202024&text=At%208.07%20U.S.%20dollars%2C%20Switzerland,dollars%20in%20the%20Euro%20area.

Answer 2

This is misleading to promote as factual and the universal truth, there is no credible information available that actually tracks a 40% decrease in size. The price of $8 is also misleading in the sense that prices are constantly fluctuating based on local economics, including the cost of raw materials, wages, and tax rates.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/big-mac-price-size/
https://www.fastfoodmenuprices.com/