Consumer Price Index December 2025

Headline Table and Graph

Figure 1 shows the development of the CPI and HICP over recent months. The primary difference between CPI and HICP is the inclusion of Mortgage Interest in the CPI, whereas it’s not included in the HICP. Full details of the difference between CPI and HICP can be found in the background notes of this release.

Consumer Price Index Annual Review – 2025

The annual average rate of inflation in 2025 was +2.2%. This compares to an increase of 2.1% for 2024 and an increase of 6.3% for 2023.

The largest year-on-year price increase was recorded in November 2025 when prices rose by 3.2% compared with the previous November. 

The largest price rises were recorded for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+4.0%), Education (+3.9%), Restaurants & Hotels (+3.1%) and Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (+3.1%). The only decreases were recorded for Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (-0.6%) and Clothing & Footwear (-0.1%).

During 2025, prices for energy products fell on average by 0.2% compared to a decline of 7.7% in 2024. The price of Goods grew on average by 1.1% compared to a rise of 0.2% in 2024. The price of Services (which includes mortgage interest) climbed by 2.9% compared to a rise of 3.4% the previous year.

Annual and Monthly Price Changes

Prices on average, as measured by the CPI, are 2.8% higher in December 2025 compared with December 2024.

The most notable changes in the year were increases in Education (+8.9%), Clothing & Footwear (+5.7%), Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+4.1%) and Restaurants & Hotels (+3.6%). The only division to show a decrease was Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (-0.4%).

Consumer Prices in December, as measured by the CPI, increased by 0.5% in the month. During December of last year, prices rose by 0.9% in the month. The most significant monthly price increases were in Clothing & Footwear (+1.8%) and Transport (+1.7%). The largest decreases were recorded in Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (-0.8%) and Communications (-0.2%).

Contributions to the Overall CPI

Annual Change

Table 3 shows the contribution of each 2-digit COICOP¹ division to the overall change in the CPI. A detailed breakdown of the individual components of each of the 12 COICOP divisions is presented in Tables 4 to 15.

The divisions which caused the largest upward percentage point (pp) contributions to the CPI in the year were Restaurants & Hotels (+0.71 pp), Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+0.52 pp), Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+0.43 pp) and Miscellaneous Goods & Services (+0.33 pp).

The only division to cause a downward contribution to the CPI in the year was Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (-0.02 pp).

The main factors contributing to the annual change were as follows:

• Restaurants & Hotels rose mainly due to higher prices for alcoholic drinks and food consumed in licensed premises, restaurants, cafes etc., and an increase in the cost of hotel accommodation.
• Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels increased primarily due to a rise in the cost of rents, mortgage interest repayments and electricity.
• Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages rose due to higher prices across a range of products such as meat, chocolate & confectionery, milk, cheese & eggs and bread & cereals.
• Miscellaneous Goods & Services increased primarily due to higher health insurance premiums, an increase in prices in hairdressing salons & personal grooming establishments and higher prices for childcare services. This increase was partially offset by lower prices for jewellery, clocks & watches.  
• Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance fell mainly due to lower prices for furniture & furnishings.

¹_{Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose Adapted to the Needs of Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (2000).}

Monthly Change

The divisions which caused the largest upward percentage point contributions to the CPI in the month were Transport (+0.18 pp) and Recreation & Culture (+0.13 pp). The division to cause the largest downward percentage point contribution to the CPI in the month was Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (-0.03 pp).

The main factors contributing to the monthly change were as follows:

• Transport rose mainly due to an increase in airfares. This increase was partially offset by a decrease in the cost of motor cars.  
• Recreation & Culture increased primarily due to higher prices for package holidays. This increase was partially offset by a reduction in the cost of recording media.
• Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco fell mainly due to lower prices for alcoholic beverages sold in supermarkets and off licences.

CPI sub-indices

Tables 4 to 15 detail all COICOP¹ sub-indices of the CPI.

Table 2 and table 17 detail selected consumer price index sub-indices. The sub index for Services rose by 3.5% in the year to December, while Goods increased by 1.8%. Services, excluding mortgage interest repayments, increased by 3.5% in the year since December 2024.

The CPI excluding tobacco increased by 0.5% in the month of December and rose by 2.8% in the year. The CPI excluding mortgage interest grew by 0.5% in the month and climbed by 2.8% in the year.

¹_{Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose Adapted to the Needs of Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (2000).}

Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices

Prices on average, as measured by the EU Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), increased by 2.7% compared with December 2024.

Table 19 details the COICOP sub-indices for the HICP. The most notable changes in the year were increases in Education (+9.0%), Clothing & Footwear (+5.8%), Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+4.2%) and Restaurants & Hotels (+3.6%). The only decrease was recorded in Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (-0.5%).

The HICP increased by 0.6% in the month. This compares to an increase of 0.9% recorded in December of last year.

The most significant monthly price rises were in Clothing & Footwear (+1.8%) and Transport (+1.7%). There were decreases in Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (-0.8%) and Communications (-0.2%).

National Average Price

National Average Prices for selected goods and services for December 2025 are detailed in Table 20.

Looking at the National Average Prices of some staple items:

• The national average price for bread (large (800g) white sliced pan) increased by 5 cents in the year to December 2025, while the same size brown sliced pan decreased by 1 cent in the year.
• Spaghetti per 500g fell by 2 cents in the year, while the average price for 2.5kg of potatoes was down 24 cents.
• The national average price of full fat milk per 2 litres was up 6 cents in the year, while butter per lb rose by 54 cents and the average price of Irish cheddar per kg increased by 68 cents.
• The national average price of a take-home 50cl can of lager at €2.38 was down 1 cent from December 2024, while a take-home 50cl can of cider at €2.71 was up 4 cents.
• In December 2025, the national average price of a pint of stout in licensed premises was €6.09, up 27 cents in the year, while a pint of lager was €6.51, up 24 cents compared with December 2024.