Grocery prices have risen 9 percent since last year, with dairy seeing the biggest increase

Grocery product prices have risen significantly since this time last year, with dairy products seeing the biggest increase.

According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO) wholesale price index for April, overall grocery product prices are up 8.8 percent compared to April 2021.

CSO data on industrial producer prices shows that the cost of essential groceries has also increased month-on-month.

Overall food prices have risen 2 percent since March, with the cost of dairy products (5.4 percent), meat (1.6 percent), fish (1.3 percent), fruits and vegetables (0.4 percent), vegetable and animal oils and fats (1.2 percent), baked goods (1.1 percent), and beverages (0.4 percent) are all up.

Dairy products also saw the largest annual increase at 37.1 percent, followed by meat (17 percent).

The analysis also shows that record highs in wholesale electricity prices have eased in recent weeks.

The price of electricity fell by a quarter (25.6 percent) last month compared to March, but was still one and a half times (155.5 percent) higher than the prices recorded in April 2021.

Total energy products followed the same trend, down 22.7 percent from March and up 125.5 percent from April 2021.

Gasoline fell 0.3 percent in April, gas oil fell 3.2 percent, auto diesel and heating oil fell 1.2 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively.

Year-on-year, all of these products are up in price, with gasoline up 15.3 percent, auto diesel up 27.4 percent, gas oil up 44.3 percent and heating oil up 34.5 percent.

In the meantime, the CSO analysis has also shown the extent of the continuing increase in the price of construction and building materials.

According to the report, the cost of stone, sand and gravel rose 3.7 percent last month, while cement prices rose 6.3 percent.

There was a significant increase in the price of various types of steel, including mild steel (27.6 pieces), finished steel (31.4 pieces) and rebar (12 pieces).

The price of all building and construction materials increased by 18.2 percent year-on-year.

With the largest annual price increases in structural steel (71.3 percent), reinforcing steel (66.5 percent) and various types of wood (49.3 percent)