CSO: Small decrease in inflation, food prices

The Central Statistical Office (CSO) reported small decreases in the inflation rate and the prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages in the latest consumer price index for August 2025.

In the report, released to the media on September 16, the CSO said the inflation rate for August – a measure of the percentage change in the all items index for that month over the same period the year before – was 1.4 per cent.

The figure is a decrease from the previous period (July 2025/July 2024), which was 1.5 per cent.

The inflation rate for the comparative period (August 2024/August 2023) was 0.4 per cent.

The all-items index, a calculation of all the prices collected for August, was one per cent below the index for July, at 125.6.

The index for food and non-alcoholic beverages decreased from 154.6 in July to 153.6 in August, a decrease of 0.6 per cent.

The decrease was because of a general drop in the prices of tomatoes, cucumbers, ochroes, melongene, eddoes, green sweet pepper, garlic, pumpkin, carbonated soft drinks and chives.

However, the full impact of these price decreases was offset by the general increase in the prices of Irish potatoes, pimento, hot peppers, cheddar cheese, onions, fresh carite, parboiled rice, celery, melon and fresh steak.

Alcoholic beverages and tobacco increased 0.3 per cent, clothing and footwear saw a 0.7 per cent increase and health products increased by 0.2 per cent.