Consumer prices were unchanged in May with increases to the costs of alcohol and tobacco offset by a reduction in petrol and diesel prices.

The Central Statistics Office’s Consumer Price Index shows, however, that prices were on average 1.8 per cent higher in May than in the same month last year.

A steep rise in the cost of education (up 9.4 per cent) and a spike in transport (up 5 per cent) contributed to the annual increase, the CSO said.

On a yearly basis, prices for alcohol and tobacco have increased by 4.2 per cent and miscellaneous goods and services by 4.1 per cent, driven by rising health insurance costs.

The prices of household furnishings, maintenance and equipment fell by 2.7 per cent in the year to last month, with recreation and culture costs down 1.7 per cent and communications prices falling by 0.9 per cent in the same period.

The services inflation rate was 2.2 per cent in the year to May, with the rate for goods increasing more slowly (by 1.3 per cent) in the same period.