IN IRELAND the cost of essentials such as butter, meat and olive oil continues to rise, according to a new analysis of Eurostat data.
Butter alone has jumped by nearly 50% in the past five years, with an 8% surge recorded just this year.
Price hikes in staple items like sugar (up 56% in a decade) and olive oil (up 53%) are hitting households hard, especially as inflation in meat and dairy has outpaced other sectors.
Beef and veal prices are more than 20% higher than they were at the end of last year.
Independent economist Austin Hughes warns that consumers should brace for these elevated prices to remain.
“There continues to be upward pressure on meat prices and dairy products,” he said, noting that supply challenges and climate impacts are worsening the outlook.
In contrast, some plant-based products have seen only modest price shifts.
Potatoes have slightly decreased in cost, and fruits and vegetables have experienced relatively stable pricing despite broader inflation.
Still, the price surge in essentials disproportionately affects lower-income households, who spend a higher share of income on food.
“These differences have very real consequences,” said Eoghan O’Hara, country head at Raisin Ireland.
“For many, price spikes in key staples can push monthly budgets to the limit.”
Further compounding household financial strain, data from the Central Statistics Office shows that agricultural prices, which are often used as a proxy for food costs, rose by more than 17% in the year to June.
However, Irish farmers are benefitting from the trend, with average incomes expected to rise 39% to €48,500 in 2025, the highest in decades.
But as food costs climb, public concern over the cost-of-living crisis is intensifying.
A recent Ipsos B&A poll commissioned by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) reveals that 84% of people are worried about rising living expenses.
Nearly half of the 1,243 respondents fear they won’t be able to meet household costs in the year ahead.
Beyond economic anxiety, the poll uncovers troubling signs of growing societal division.
Just 13% of people believe wealth in Ireland is distributed fairly, and confidence in government efforts to reduce discrimination appears to be weakening.
Instances of racism and discrimination have increased, especially among non-white Irish residents, 66% of whom reported experiencing racism in the past year.
Disabled individuals also face rising discrimination, with 16% reporting mistreatment, up from 10% last year.
IHREC Chief Commissioner Liam Herrick described the findings as a snapshot of “an Ireland pulled in two directions.”
While many continue to value fairness and equality, he warned of “growing inequality and increasing reports of discrimination”, calling for stronger leadership and policy action.
“Economic inequality, racism, and democratic erosion are not forces of nature,” Herrick said.
“They are the result of policy choices, and they are outcomes that can be changed through courage, action, and solidarity.”
See More: Butter, Cost Of Living, Economy, Inflation
