Estimates from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and the European statistics office Eurostat show that inflation in the Netherlands reached as high as 6,4 percent in December, NOS reports.
There are two different systems for measuring national inflation rates: Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP) - the method used by Eurostat - and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) - the method used by CBS. Inflation across Europe has been rising since the summer, and according to initial HICP projections, prices in the Netherlands last month were 6,4 percent higher than in December 2020.
Experts have attributed the rising cost of living to a number of factors, including the European energy crisis, which continues to drive up the prices for gas and electricity. Rising costs have resulted in increased production costs, which in turn have had knock-on effects for prices for consumers.
CBS will publish its figures for the national rate of inflation on January 11, which are expected to deviate slightly from the HICP projections. In November, for example, CBS calculated that the price of goods and services had risen by 5,2 percent over the previous 12 months - a lower figure than the 5,9 percent reported by Eurostat.