Prices in May were on average 3.3 percent higher than a year earlier. In the Netherlands, you spent more money last month on cigarettes, meat, sugar and rent. Holidays, on the other hand, were slightly cheaper.
This is according to figures from statistics agency CBS. They previously released an estimate of inflation in May based on preliminary figures. That also resulted in a percentage of 3.3.
More data is now available, and it appears that the rent increase, among other things, is hurting. Housing corporations implemented an average increase of 5.1 percent in July. A significant increase is also expected next month now that the outgoing cabinet is not going ahead with its plans for a rent freeze.
Furthermore, meat and sugar have risen sharply in price over the past year, with increases of 8 and 9 percent respectively. In addition, you spend more on coffee, tea and cocoa. This is partly due to high prices on the world market due to disappointing harvests.
Not everything has become more expensive. In May you spent less on average for a flight and a holiday in a bungalow park was also less expensive than a year earlier. This is because overnight stays and airline tickets are more expensive during holiday periods and May this year had fewer holidays than in 2024.
Inflation in the Netherlands higher than the EU average
It is striking that inflation in the Netherlands has been higher than the EU average for some time. According to the European measurement method, the price increase in our country last month was 2.9 percent, while the average in the Eurozone was 1.9 percent.
Economists think this is because wages in the Netherlands have risen faster than in other countries. Employers incorporate these extra labor costs into their selling prices.