Rise in education spending pushes monthly inflation to highest level in almost two years

The Central Statistics Office recorded a €0.62c hike in the cost of a kilo of cheddar, €0.55c rise in the price of a pound of butter, and an €0.11c escalation in the price of a white bread sliced pan over the 12 months. File photo

Retail goods prices rose markedly last month, with the rate of inflation now the highest seen in close to two years, according to the Central Statistics Office.

The latest edition of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) shows that prices rose by 3.2% year-on-year in the 12 months to the end of November. That hike is the highest inflation metric posted since the 3.4% seen in February of last year, and up on the 2.9% seen in October 2025.