According to data collected by the Statistical Service for January 2024, there's a noticeable increase in the prices of essential Valentine's Day products and services compared to last year, ranging from 0.7% to 9.7%.

The Statistical Service reports, "Inflation is driving up prices in almost every category deemed essential for the day."

The most significant price hike is in jewelry, showing a 9.7% increase compared to January 2023. This is followed by hotel and motel prices, which have seen an annual increase of 9.5%, chocolate prices by 7.7%, and women's hair salon services by 6.3%.

Personal care treatments have recorded a 5.7% increase, restaurant and café prices by 5.6%, plants and flowers by 5.2%, and confectionery items by 3.8%.

Smaller annual increases include wine prices by 2.1%, women's clothing by 1.6%, men's clothing by 1%, and watch prices by 0.7%.

Conversely, there's a 0.1% decrease in prices for cinemas, theaters, and concerts, and a 3.4% decrease in stationery items.