Dutch inflation rises to 3.7% as gas prices climb

Dutch inflation rose to 3.7% in October from 3.4% in September, with higher gas prices the main driver, according to final figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS).

Gas was 11.7% more expensive than a year earlier, up from an annual rise of 7.4% in September. Food prices also contributed: they fell 1.1% year on year in October, a slower decline than the 1.7% recorded the month before.

Fuel-price increases, by contrast, were less steep than in September. Petrol was 22.6% dearer than a year earlier, compared with a rise of more than 27% in September. Diesel prices rose by more than 44%, slightly less than the nearly 46% increase in September.

CBS said energy prices had risen following the war in the Middle East, which began in late February. Inflation in the Netherlands was 2.4% that month.

On the European harmonised measure, Dutch inflation reached 3.3% in October, up from 3% in September. Eurozone inflation rose to 4% from 3.8%, its highest level since September 2023. CBS attributed the gap between the Dutch and eurozone rates partly to lower food, drink and tobacco prices in the Netherlands, and a smaller rise in energy prices, including motor fuels.