Pancake Tuesday Costs Rise as Inflation Bites

Pancake Tuesday, traditionally a day of indulgence before the start of Lent, is becoming more expensive for Irish households. Novel data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) reveals a 35.2% increase in the cost of making pancakes over the past five years.

Rising Ingredient Costs

The CSO analysis, released on February 16, 2026, compared prices of key pancake ingredients – eggs, milk, flour, and sugar – from December 2020, December 2024, and December 2025. The findings highlight a significant impact of inflation on everyday grocery items.

• Milk: The cost of 2 litres of full-fat milk increased by 72c (42.6%) between December 2020 and December 2025. CSO
• Flour: 2kg of flour saw a price increase of 62c (31.6%) over the same period. RTÉ
• Eggs: A carton of six large eggs rose by 57c (32.0%). DublinLive
• Sugar: Sugar experienced the largest percentage increase, rising by 0.69c (60.5%) over the five years. However, the price of sugar remained stable between December 2024 and December 2025. CSO

Recent Price Trends

While overall costs have risen, some ingredients saw slight fluctuations in the year leading up to December 2025. Flour prices decreased by 2c (0.8%), while milk increased by 5c (2.1%) and eggs by 9c (4.9%). CSO

National Average Price Changes (December 2025)

CSO

Looking Ahead

Pancake Tuesday continues to be a cherished tradition, marking the final day of indulgence before Lent. However, consumers are facing higher costs for the ingredients needed to celebrate. The CSO data provides a clear picture of the inflationary pressures impacting everyday household expenses.