Price of grocery staples running well ahead of general inflation
Central Statistics Office (CSO)
.
The figure comes as the
annual rate of inflation
overall edged up to 1.8 per cent in June, from 1.7 per cent the previous month, the lowest reading this year. Excluding energy and unprocessed food, prices in general were 2 per cent higher than at this time last year.
On a monthly basis, prices were 0.5 per cent higher compared to May, driven in large part by higher cost of package holidays which jumped 22.1 per cent. That saw the recreation and culture sector report inflation of 3.6 per cent for the month.
The most significant increases on an annual basis were seen in the food and non-alcoholic beverages sector where prices in general were 4.6 per cent higher. But prices for some grocery staples jumped considerably more than that.
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Anthony Dawson, a statistician in the agency's prices division, said butter, which now retails at around €3.99 a pound for own store brands and €5.49 for Kerrygold, was €1.10 more expensive than 12 months ago.
Other dairy basics have also recorded substantial increases with Mr Dawson saying that shoppers were paying, on average, 95 cent a kilo more for cheddar cheese and 27 cent more for a litre of milk.
The biggest increase over the past 12 months is in the price of beef and veal, which is now almost 22 per cent more expensive than in June 2024, according to the CSO. Those with a sweet tooth are paying 17.5 per cent more for chocolate.
Bread prices have risen much more modestly, up between five and six cent for a standard sliced pan while pasta prices are unchanged. And a 2.5 kilo bag of potatoes was actually 29 cent cheaper in June than at the same time last year, the CSO found.
Some sectors, including clothing and footwear, reported lower prices, down 2.3 per cent on the year. Transport costs are also 1.2 per cent lower than this time last year, although they did jump 1.2 per cent between May and June.
Alcohol prices are down 1.1 per cent overall on an annual basis though the price of beer did rise over that time.
As the Government continues to try to come to grips with the housing crisis, the CSO figures show that rents are 4.8 per cent higher than in June last year even as mortgage costs for homeowners dipped by 0.5 per cent.
Home maintenance costs are also running ahead of the general rate of inflation at 3.5 per cent on an annualised basis.
On energy, despite the easing of the energy crisis, consumers are still paying 1.3 per cent more for electricity than at the same time in 2024, and a more modest 0.5 per cent more for gas.
However, motor fuels prices are lower, down 4.4 per cent on average compared with 12 months ago.
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