Food prices rose sharply in 2025, adding to cost-of-living pressures for households, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Food inflation reached 5.1% in August, the highest rate since December 2023 and around one and a half times the overall inflation rate.
The increase marked a renewed acceleration in grocery prices after a period of easing earlier in the year.
Despite higher living costs, households increased their savings.
In the third quarter of 2025, people saved €1 out of every €7 of disposable income, a higher proportion than the average recorded in both 2023 and 2024.
The CSO said this suggests a more cautious approach to spending amid ongoing economic uncertainty.
Housing costs continued to climb, with residential property prices rising by 7.3% in the 12 months to October 2025.
This pushed the median, or mid-point, price of a home to €381,000. The rise came even as housing supply showed signs of improvement.
A total of 24,325 new dwellings were completed in the first nine months of the year, up 13% compared with the same period in 2024.
The transition to greener transport accelerated during the year.
Almost six in ten, or 57%, of all new private cars licensed up to November 2025 were electric, plug-in hybrid or hybrid vehicles, highlighting a continued shift away from traditional petrol and diesel models.
Ireland’s population also continued to grow. The CSO recorded an increase of 78,300 people in the year to April 2025, bringing the total population to 5,458,600.
On the external front, exports of goods reached a record €38bn in March 2025.
Medical and pharmaceutical products dominated, accounting for €23.5bn of the total, underlining the sector’s central role in Ireland’s export performance.
Taken together, the figures point to an economy marked by strong export growth and rising population, but also persistent pressures on household budgets, particularly from food and housing costs.
*This article was originally published on BusinessPlus.ie.