Consumers caught a small break at the grocery in September, as food prices dipped and overall inflation slowed to 1.0 per cent, according to new data released by the Central Statistical Office (CSO) yesterday.
The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) shows that the inflation rate for September 2025, which measures the percentage change in the All-Items Index compared to the same month last year, fell from 1.4 per cent in August to 1.0 per cent, signalling a modest easing in price pressures. For comparison, inflation during September 2024 stood at 0.4 per cent.
The All Items Index slipped slightly from 125.6 in August to 125.4 in September, representing a 0.2 per cent month-on-month decline, as food costs retreated after several months of steady increases.
The CSO report pointed to a 0.8 per cent drop in the food and non-alcoholic beverages index, which moved from 153.6 in August to 152.4 in September. This was driven mainly by falling prices for tomatoes, fresh and frozen whole chickens, melongene, melon, pimento, fresh carite, garlic, hot peppers and eddoes.
However, not everything on the shopping list got cheaper.
The CSO noted that these declines were partly offset by higher prices for cucumber, Irish potatoes, cabbage, bottled water, frozen turkey parts, soybean oil, pork ham, fresh shrimp, split peas and other fruit drinks.
Outside the food basket, small price shifts were also recorded across other consumer categories.
The index for clothing and footwear slipped by 0.3 per cent, while health declined by 0.1 per cent.
Meanwhile, the Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco sub-index rose marginally by 0.1 per cent, reflecting higher retail prices for some products in that category. All other sections of the CPI remained unchanged.
The CSO said it will continue to monitor trends closely as global energy and commodity prices remain unpredictable heading into 2026.
