Food Price Surge Adds Pressure on Households, Says CSO
Dublin: Households across Ireland are facing higher costs for everyday essentials, with food inflation reaching its highest level since December 2023, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Food prices rose 5.1% in August, compared to 5.6% in December 2023. The sharpest increases were recorded in:
- Butter: up 18.3%
- Beef and veal: up 22.7%
- Milk: up 12.4%
- Chocolate: up 16.3%
- Coffee: up 12.1%
- Bread: up 3.3%
The CSO’s national average price report for August highlighted notable increases in household staples:
- 1kg of Irish cheddar cheese: up 93c
- 1lb of butter: up 91c
- 2 litres of full-fat milk: up 28c
- 800g white sliced pan: up 7c
- 800g brown sliced pan: up 4c
- 500g spaghetti: up 1c
Not all categories rose, however. Transport costs fell by 2.3%, and the average price of potatoes dropped by 35c compared with August 2023, offering some relief to consumers.
Overall, consumer prices increased by 2% in the year to August, up from 1.7% in July. This marks the first time since April (2.2%) that the annual inflation rate has exceeded 2%. Inflation, as measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, rose to 1.9% from 1.6% the previous month.
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