The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 3.4% between July 2025 and July 2026. This 3.4% increase was the same level of year-on-year inflation that was recorded in June 2026.
Excluding Energy and Unprocessed Food, the CPI grew by 3.2% in the 12 months to July 2026.
The divisions with the largest increases in the 12 months to July 2026 were Education Services (+8.9%), Clothing & Footwear (+8.5%), Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+7.7%) and Insurance & Financial Services (+5.5%).
No division recorded a decline in prices when compared with July 2025, the first time this has occurred since December 2021.
Consumer prices rose by 0.1% in the month between June 2026 and July 2026.
The divisions that recorded the highest rises in the month were Recreation, Sport & Culture (+2.7%) and Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+0.8%).
The divisions that recorded the largest decreases in the month were Clothing & Footwear (-5.1%) and Transport (-0.9%).
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.
| CPI and HICP | |||||||
| CPI | HICP | ||||||
| % monthly change | % annual change | % monthly change | % annual change | ||||
| Mar 2026 | 1.6 | 3.6 | 1.8 | 3.6 | |||
| Apr 2026 | 0.5 | 3.7 | 0.5 | 3.6 | |||
| May 2026 | -0.1 | 3.6 | -0.2 | 3.5 | |||
| Jun 2026 | 0.3 | 3.4 | 0.3 | 3.2 | |||
| Jul 2026 | 0.1 | 3.4 | 0.1 | 3.1 | |||
| X-axis label | CPI | HICP |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 2025 | 1.7 | 1.6 |
| Aug 2025 | 2 | 1.9 |
| Sep 2025 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| Oct 2025 | 2.9 | 2.8 |
| Nov 2025 | 3.2 | 3.1 |
| Dec 2025 | 2.8 | 2.7 |
| Jan 2026 | 2.7 | 2.5 |
| Feb 2026 | 2.7 | 2.5 |
| Mar 2026 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
| Apr 2026 | 3.7 | 3.6 |
| May 2026 | 3.6 | 3.5 |
| Jun 2026 | 3.4 | 3.2 |
| Jul 2026 | 3.4 | 3.1 |
Prices on average, as measured by the CPI, are 3.4% higher in July 2026 compared with July 2025.
The most notable changes in the year were increases in Education Services (+8.9%), Clothing & Footwear (+8.5%), Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+7.7%) and Insurance & Financial Services (+5.5%). No division recorded a decline when compared with July 2025.
Consumer Prices in July, as measured by the CPI, increased by 0.1% in the month. During July of last year prices also rose by 0.1% in the month. The most significant monthly price increases were in Recreation, Sport & Culture (+2.7%) and Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+0.8%). The largest monthly decreases were in Clothing & Footwear (-5.1%) and Transport (-0.9%).
Table 3 shows the contribution of each 2-digit ECOICOP1 division to the overall change in the CPI. A detailed breakdown of the individual components of each of the 13 ECOICOP divisions is presented in Tables 4 to 16.
The divisions which caused the largest upward percentage point (pp) contributions to the CPI in the year were Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+1.20 pp), Restaurants & Accommodation Services (+0.72 pp), Clothing & Footwear (+0.30 pp) and Transport (+0.25 pp). No division recorded made a negative contribution to the CPI in the year to July 2026.
The main factors contributing to the annual change were as follows:
1European Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purpose version 2.
The divisions that caused the largest upward percentage point contributions to the CPI in the month were Recreation, Sport & Culture (+0.20 pp) and Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+0.14 pp). The only two divisions to cause a downward percentage point contribution to the CPI in the month were Clothing & Footwear (-0.24 pp) and Transport (-0.09 pp).
The main factors contributing to the monthly change were as follows:
Tables 4 to 16 detail all ECOICOP sub-indices of the CPI.
Table 2 and Table 18 detail selected consumer price index sub-indices. The sub index for Services rose by 4.1% in the year to July, while Goods increased by 2.5%. Services, excluding mortgage interest repayments, increased by 3.8% in the year since July 2025.
The CPI excluding tobacco increased by 0.1% in the month of July and rose by 3.3% in the year. The CPI excluding mortgage interest remained unchanged in the month and climbed by 3.2% in the year.
Prices on average, as measured by the EU Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), increased by 3.1% compared with July 2025.
Table 20 details the ECOICOP sub-indices for the HICP. The most notable changes in the year were increases in Education Services (+9.0%), Clothing & Footwear (+8.5%), Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+7.3%), and Insurance & Financial Services (+4.9%). No division recorded a decline when compared with July 2025.
The HICP increased by 0.1% in the month. This compares to an increase of 0.2% recorded in July of last year.
The most significant monthly price increases were in Recreation, Sport & Culture (+2.7%) and Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+0.7%). The largest price decreases were recorded in Clothing & Footwear (-5.1%) and Transport (-0.9%).
National Average Prices for selected goods and services for July 2026 are detailed in Table 21.
Looking at the National Average Prices of some staple items:
To calculate the percentage change in the CPI between two periods of time
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (13 August 2026) published the Consumer Price Index (CPI) July 2026.
Commenting on the release, Edel Flannery, Senior Statistician in the Prices Division, said: “Today’s release of the CPI shows that prices for consumer goods and services in July 2026 rose by 3.4% on average when compared with July 2025.
Annual Changes
The most significant increases in the 12 months to July 2026 were seen in Education Services (+8.9%) and Clothing & Footwear (+8.5%). The annual change in Education Services reflects a rise in costs associated with third-level education which came into effect from October 2025. The rise in Clothing & Footwear was due to higher costs for garments, shoes and other footwear. No division recorded an overall decline in prices when compared with July 2025.
Monthly Changes
Consumer prices in July 2026 rose by 0.1% in the month. During July 2025, prices also increased by 0.1% in the month. In July 2026, the most significant monthly increases were in Recreation, Sport & Culture (+2.7%) and Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+0.8%). The rise in Recreation, Sport & Culture prices was primarily due to higher costs for package holidays. Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels rose mainly due to higher costs for electricity and mortgage interest. This was partially offset by a decrease in the cost of home heating oil.
The largest monthly decreases were in Clothing & Footwear (-5.1%) and Transport (-0.9%).
It should be noted that these figures relate to the CPI. The Flash Estimate Press Statement published on 30 July 2026 related to the EU Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP). See Background Notes for differences between CPI and HICP."
National Average Prices
The National Average Prices for selected goods and services for July 2026 are also published today. The National Average Prices are compiled together with the CPI.
Commenting on the National Average Prices, Edel Flannery said: “There were price decreases in the 12 months to July 2026 for a pound of butter (-55c), a 2.5kg bag of potatoes, 2 litres of full fat milk, Irish cheddar per kg (all -9c), sirloin steak per kg (-5c) and an 800g loaf of brown sliced pan (-2c). The price of an 800g loaf of white sliced pan was unchanged when compared with July 2025.
The national average price for a litre of diesel in July 2026 was €1.76, an increase of 6c on the same time last year. Petrol prices increased by 5c to €1.77 a litre. It should be noted that July prices were collected in mid-July and may not reflect more recent increases in the cost of diesel, petrol and home heating oil resulting from the ongoing situation in the Middle East."
The comprehensive list of items included in the National Average Prices and their monthly prices are available in PxStat Table CPM12.