Food prices up 3.4% in past 12 months- CSO
Food prices are estimated to have risen by 0.1% in the last month and increased by 3.4% in the last 12 months, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The EU Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) for Ireland published by the CSO today (Monday, March 2) is estimated to have risen by 2.4% in the 12 months to February 2026.
It increased by 0.7% since January 2026.
This compares with HICP inflation of 2.5% in Ireland in the 12 months to January 2026 and an annual increase of 1.7% in the HICP for the Eurozone in the same period.
Looking at some of the other components of the flash HICP for Ireland in February 2026, energy prices are estimated to have gone up by 0.4% in the month and were up by 0.1% over the 12 months to February 2026.
Excluding energy and unprocessed food, the HICP is estimated to have grown by 2.4% since February 2025.
CSO comment
Commenting on the data published today, Anthony Dawson, statistician in the CSO Prices Division, said: “The latest flash estimate of the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, compiled by the CSO, indicates that prices for consumer goods and services in Ireland are estimated to have risen by 2.4% in the past year.
"Looking at the components of the flash HICP in Ireland for February 2026, energy prices are estimated to have grown by 0.4% in the month and increased by 0.1% since February 2025.
"The HICP excluding energy and unprocessed food prices, is estimated to have gone up by 2.4% since February 2025."
According to the CSO, service prices have risen by 0.8% in the month and are up by 3.3% in the 12 months to February 2026.
| HICP Special Aggregate | Monthly % change | Annual % change |
|---|---|---|
| HICP excluding Energy and Unprocessed Food | 0.8 | 2.4 |
| Energy | 0.4 | 0.1 |
| Services | 0.8 | 3.3 |
| Non-Energy Industrial Goods | 1.3 | 0.8 |
| Food excluding Alcohol and Tobacco | 0.1 | 3.4 |
| Unprocessed Food | 0.2 | 5.8 |
| Processed Food | -0.1 | 2.2 |
| Food including Alcohol and Tobacco | -0.1 | 2.9 |
| HICP excluding Energy | 0.8 | 2.6 |
| HICP excluding Energy, Food, Alcohol and Tobacco | 1.0 | 2.5 |
| All Items HICP | 0.7 | 2.4 |
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the official measure of inflation for Ireland and is published monthly by the CSO.
The CPI release for February 2026 will be published on March 12, 2026 and the final results of the HICP for Ireland for February 2026 will be published as part of the CPI release.
The HICP is an index of consumer prices that has been harmonised to allow comparisons across Eurozone countries.
The CSO compiles the HICP flash estimates and final results for Ireland and submist those to Eurostat which then compiles the Eurozone estimate and publishes that along with the results for the countries within the Eurozone.
