Ireland’s annual inflation rate climbed to 2.9% in October, according to new data from the Central Statistics Office. This marks the highest annual reading since March and represents a slight rise from the 2.7% recorded in September.
The CSO figures show that the strongest upward pressure came from Education costs, which increased by 8.4% over the past year. The rise is largely linked to higher third-level education expenses.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages also saw notable inflation. Beef prices increased by 23.5%, while lamb rose by 16.7%. Staples such as milk, butter and coffee recorded significant increases, with dairy products in particular continuing their upward trend. Chocolate prices also moved higher.
Month-on-month, consumer prices rose by 0.5%. The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, which excludes mortgage interest costs and is used for EU comparisons, recorded annual inflation of 2.8%, up slightly from 2.7% the previous month.
CSO Snapshot of Everyday Costs
The CSO also published national average prices for commonly purchased goods. Compared with October last year:
• Irish cheddar increased by 80 cent per kg
• A pound of butter rose by 64 cent
• Two litres of full-fat milk increased by 22 cent
• A standard white sliced pan rose by 7 cent
• A brown sliced pan increased by 3 cent
• Spaghetti per 500g rose by 1 cent
One notable exception was potatoes, with a 2.5kg bag falling in price by 38 cent year-on-year.
These figures provide a clear indication of ongoing cost pressures facing households, even as headline inflation remains below the peaks seen in recent years.
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