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Coffee, milk and electricity prices in Ireland: CSO figures to September 2026
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) puts "Coffee and coffee substitutes" in Ireland up 2.0% in the year to September 2026. In the same year "Tea" is down 0.5%, "Raw and whole milk" is down 3.7% and "Electricity" is up 8.1%, against 4.1% for "All Items". Since December 2023 the CSO coffee index has risen from 100 to 111.0, which is 11.0% by our arithmetic. These are Consumer Price Index figures for what households pay. They are not what a café pays its suppliers, and the CSO table does not say what a café pays. The table gives no reasons for any movement, so this page gives none.
How much have coffee prices gone up in Ireland?
The CSO says "Coffee and coffee substitutes" (code CP0122) was 2.0% higher in September 2026 than in September 2025. The CSO also publishes the index with December 2023 set at 100. It stood at 111.0 in September 2026, so it is up 11.0% since December 2023. That percentage is ours, worked out from the CSO index.
From September 2023 to September 2026 the index went from 98.9 to 111.0, up 12.2%, also ours. In the span I pulled, January 2023 to September 2026, the CSO annual rate for coffee peaked at 14.2% in March 2023. Its lowest in the same span is -1.6%, in December 2024.
One caution before the rest. The CSO label covers coffee and coffee substitutes together, and I do not define it beyond those words. It is a household index, not a price list for a café.
What about milk and tea prices in Ireland?
Both are lower than a year ago. The CSO annual rate for "Raw and whole milk" (CP01141) was -3.7% in September 2026, and for "Tea" (CP0123) it was -0.5%.
Against December 2023 the picture is different. The September 2026 index is 108.9 for milk and 106.7 for tea, so milk is up 8.9% and tea up 6.7% by our arithmetic. Over three years, from September 2023, milk went from 100.2 to 108.9 (up 8.7%) and tea from 99.3 to 106.7 (up 7.5%). Those percentages are ours.
In the span I pulled, the CSO annual rate for milk peaked at 30.4% in January 2023 and was lowest at -4.1% in February and March 2024. Tea peaked at 12.9% in May 2023, and its lowest in the span is -0.5%, in September 2026.
What about electricity prices in Ireland?
The CSO annual rate for "Electricity" (CP0451) was 8.1% in September 2026, the highest of the six series here. The index is 100.4, close to its December 2023 base, so it is up 0.4% since then by our arithmetic.
From September 2023 to September 2026 the electricity index went from 112.8 to 100.4, down 11.0%, also ours. In the span I pulled, the CSO annual rate peaked at 62.6% from January to March 2023 and was lowest at -22.2% in April 2024. A large annual rate can sit on top of an index that has fallen over a longer stretch, which is what these figures show.
How do these compare with eating-out prices?
The CSO annual rate for "Restaurants, cafe and the like" (CP1111) was 3.5% in September 2026, and for "All Items" (CP00) it was 4.1%. Coffee at 2.0% is below both, and electricity at 8.1% is above both.
The index for restaurants and cafés stood at 111.0, the same as coffee, and all items at 107.6. Those are up 11.0% and 7.6% since December 2023, ours. For the monthly detail on eating out, see our page on café and restaurant prices.
Is this what a café pays for coffee, milk and electricity?
No. These are CSO Consumer Price Index sub-indices, the prices households pay. They are not the prices a café pays its suppliers or its electricity supplier, and the CSO table does not say what a café pays. Read them as a guide to what households face, and check your own invoices for what your shop pays.
Where do these numbers come from, and how often are they updated?
They come from CSO table CPM24, Consumer Price Index, a monthly series with the base December 2023 = 100. It was last updated on 8 October 2026 and runs to September 2026.
I read it on 17 October 2026 and pulled the index and the 12-month change for the six series below, for all 45 months from January 2023 to September 2026. You can download them as a CSV. If you cite it: Cupán Studio, from CSO table CPM24, read 17 October 2026.
| CSO series | Annual change, September 2026 (CSO) | Index, September 2026, Dec 2023 = 100 (CSO) | Change since December 2023 (ours) | Change since September 2023 (ours) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee and coffee substitutes | 2.0% | 111.0 | 11.0% | 12.2% |
| Tea | -0.5% | 106.7 | 6.7% | 7.5% |
| Raw and whole milk | -3.7% | 108.9 | 8.9% | 8.7% |
| Electricity | 8.1% | 100.4 | 0.4% | -11.0% |
| Restaurants, cafe and the like | 3.5% | 111.0 | 11.0% | 12.5% |
| All Items | 4.1% | 107.6 | 7.6% | 7.6% |
Sources
- Central Statistics Office, CPM24 Consumer Price Index, updated 8 October 2026, read 17 October 2026.
Figures from CSO table CPM24, read 17 October 2026; some percentages are ours. These are consumer prices, not trade prices. A summary of published statistics, not financial advice. Cupán Studio builds websites for cafés in Ireland.
One coffee or café fact a day, drawn. That is what we post on Instagram. @cupanstudio
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