IRELAND’S INFLATION RATE eased again in December, with pressures on household budgets showing further signs of cooling, even as the cost of a night out continued to climb.

New figures from the Central Statistics Office show consumer prices rose by 2.8% in the 12 months to December 2025, down from 3.2% in November and 2.9% in October, marking the slowest annual increase in more than a year.

While prices increased by 0.5% in the month, that rise was smaller than the 0.9% jump recorded in December last year, pointing to a more subdued end to 2025 for inflation.

Shoppers saw some welcome stability, and in a few cases relief, in supermarket aisles.

The national average price of an 800g white sliced pan rose by just five cent over the year, while brown bread fell by one cent.

Spaghetti was down two cent, and a 2.5kg bag of potatoes dropped by 24 cent compared with December 2024.

Dairy prices, however, continued to edge upwards.

Butter rose by 54 cent, Irish cheddar increased by 68 cent per kilogram, and two litres of full-fat milk climbed by six cent over the year.

Alcohol prices told a mixed story. Take-home drinks were slightly cheaper, with the average price of a 50cl can of lager down one cent to €2.38, while cider rose by four cent.

But drinkers heading to the pub paid more, with the average price of a pint of stout rising by 27 cent to €6.09, and a pint of lager up 24 cent to €6.51.

Education costs recorded the sharpest annual increase, rising by 8.9%, reflecting higher third-level fees introduced from October.

Clothing and footwear prices rose by 5.7%, largely driven by a rebound after seasonal sales.

The only category to record an annual fall was furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance, which declined by 0.4%.

On a monthly basis, the biggest price rises in December were seen in clothing and footwear (+1.8%) and transport (+1.7%), the latter linked to higher airfares.

Alcoholic beverages and tobacco fell by 0.8%, while communications costs slipped by 0.2%.

The annual average rate of inflation for 2025 stood at 2.2%, down sharply from 6.3% in 2023.