The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has recently published the flash estimates of inflation from the EU Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) for Ireland for March 2026.

Eurostat will publish the figures for the whole of the Eurozone, including Ireland, on 31 March 2026.

Commenting on the data published, Anthony Dawson, statistician in the Prices Division, said: “The latest flash estimate of the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), compiled by the CSO, indicates that prices for consumer goods and services in Ireland are estimated to have risen by 3.6% in the past year.

“Looking at the components of the flash HICP in Ireland for March 2026, energy prices are estimated to have increased by 11.1% in the month and risen by 12.3% since March 2025.

“These increases in energy prices may have been influenced by recent events in the Middle East.

“These prices were collected in mid-March and before the Government measures on energy costs were introduced.

“The HICP excluding energy and unprocessed food prices, is estimated to have gone up by 2.6% since March 2025.

“Food prices are estimated to have decreased by 0.3% in the last month and gone up by 2.3% in the last 12 months.

“Service prices have risen by 0.9% in the month and are up by 3.3% in the 12 months to March 2026.

“These flash estimates are subject to revision when the final HICP results are published next month.”