Ireland most expensive for alcohol & tobacco

Ireland emerged as being the third-most expensive country in the EU28 at 74.1% more than the EU average last year for alcohol & tobacco in the most recent Eurostat survey­­­. This compares with a 2003 figure of Ireland being 75.7% more expensive than the EU 28.

Finland emerged as having the highest prices for alcohol in the EU last year (beaten only by non-EU members Norway & Iceland) with Ireland the most expensive for tobacco (beaten only by Norway).

But Irish consumers eating out or staying in hotels found themselves paying 22.1% more than the EU average last year compared to 27.5% more in 2003.

Overall price levels for consumer goods and services here showed themselves to be some 25% more than the European Union average last year where prices varied by as much as 42% more in Denmark to 48% of the average in Bulgaria.

A new Eurostat survey is due out next month.