New analysis from the Central Statistics Office has found that the cost of a typical St Valentine's Day gift or night out has increased over the last five years.
The CSO said its research was based on a comparison of prices collected in February 2020 and December 2024.
It found that while a bottle of wine has gone up by just 0.9% over that period, a box of chocolates has risen by 1.6% and a bunch of flowers is now 12.1% higher.
Today's figures also show that for those planning on treating someone special to a night out and are thinking of going for a meal, or making a trip to the cinema or theatre, will also cost significantly more this year than five years ago.
A meal in a restaurant has jumped by by 30.7% over the 58-month period, while a trip to the cinema is up 3.1% and attending a theatre performance has risen by 14.6%, the CSO noted.
