CONSUMER PRICES IN Ireland have risen by the highest annual rates since March 2024.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is Ireland’s official measure of inflation.

For the CPI, around 50,000 prices are collected across a range of retail and service outlets from a basket of goods consisting 612 items.

This aims to reflect what average households are spending their money on.

Figures released today by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that the CPI rose by 2.7% between September 2024 and September 2025.

That’s up from an annual rate of 2% in the year to August and the highest annual rate of inflation since March 2024, when the rate of increase was 2.9%.

Between September 2024 and September 2025, the average price of a 2.5kg bag of potatoes declined by 42 cent to €3.66.

However, there was a 69c increase in the price of a kilo of Irish cheddar cheese to hit €11.21, a 68c increase in a pound of butter to reach €4.81, and a 27c increase in a two litre carton of milk to reach €2.47.

The average cost of a white slice pan also rose by 5c to €1.66.

Increases in groceries between September 2024 and 2025 CSO CSO

Meanwhile, the average price of a pint of stout in a pub was €6.07, up 25c in the year, while a pint of lager was €6.50, up 26c.

The divisions with the largest increases in the year to September were Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+4.7%) and Miscellaneous Goods & Services (+3.7%).

Miscellaneous Goods & Services covers a wide range of items including hairdressing, hygiene products, personal goods such as jewellery, handbags and wallets, childcare, insurance, and financial services.

The only division to record a decline when compared with September 2024 was Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (-0.6%).

And while consumer prices increased over the year, they decreased in the month between August and September by 0.2%.

The divisions with the largest declines in the month were Transport (-1.8%) and Recreation & Culture (-1.6%).

The decrease in Transport was due to lower airfares.

The divisions to record the largest increases in the month were Clothing & Footwear (+2.4%) and Miscellaneous Goods & Services (+0.5%).