Dutch inflation below European average
Harmonised inflation stood at 2.8 per cent in the Netherlands in August, compared with 3.2 per cent in the eurozone.
Consumer prices in the Netherlands rose less quickly in August than the average across the euro area. According to the European-comparable HICP measure, inflation was 2.8 per cent in the Netherlands, while Eurostat reported 3.2 per cent for the eurozone.
The difference is shown by the latest figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and Eurostat. Dutch HICP inflation fell from 3.0 per cent in July to 2.8 per cent in August, according to CBS. Eurostat put inflation in the eurozone at 3.2 per cent for the same month, up from 2.9 per cent in July.
Dutch figures are also often presented using the national consumer price index, or CPI. That stood at 3.3 per cent in August, after 3.2 per cent in July. The figure is not directly comparable with HICP, because the European method looks at consumption within national borders, while the national method also includes spending by Dutch people abroad.
Lower Dutch HICP inflation does not mean that the price level is lower here or that products became cheaper on average. It refers to the speed at which prices change compared with the same month a year earlier. An inflation rate of 2.8 per cent therefore means that the comparable basket of consumer goods was, on average, more expensive than in August 2025.
The composition of the price increases differed between the Netherlands and the eurozone. In the Netherlands, prices for food, beverages and tobacco fell by 0.5 per cent year on year, according to CBS. Energy, including motor fuels, was 11.7 per cent more expensive. Services rose in price by 3.4 per cent.
Across the eurozone as a whole, food, beverages and tobacco rose by 1.2 per cent. Energy became 14.3 per cent more expensive and services 3.0 per cent. The lower food inflation and less pronounced increase in energy prices in particular contributed to the difference between the Netherlands and the euro area, while Dutch services became slightly more expensive at a faster rate.
The comparison also depends on the measurement method chosen and on the composition of consumption in each country. HICP is intended to compare countries with one another, but it does not directly show how much purchasing power individual households have. Incomes, taxes, housing costs and personal spending are also relevant to that.
Eurostat will publish its first estimate for September on 2 October. Only then will it become clear whether the difference between the Netherlands and the euro area is widening further or is temporary.
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The key figures come from the latest CBS and Eurostat publications and use the harmonised HICP measure. The article explicitly distinguishes between HICP and the national CPI and draws no conclusions about individual purchasing power.
- confirmed Dutch HICP inflation was 2.8 per cent in August 2026. — CBS reports 2.8 per cent for August and 3.0 per cent for July. source
- confirmed Inflation in the eurozone was 3.2 per cent in August 2026. — This is the final Eurostat figure in the 17 September publication. source
- confirmed Dutch CPI stood at 3.3 per cent in August. — This is stated in the CBS publication for August. source
- confirmed HICP measures consumption within national borders, while CPI also includes consumption by Dutch people abroad. — CBS explains this difference between the two price indices. source
- confirmed Energy rose by 11.7 per cent in the Netherlands and by 14.3 per cent in the eurozone in August. — The percentages appear in the disaggregated HICP tables from CBS and Eurostat. source
- confirmed Eurostat will publish its first estimate for September on 2 October. — The Eurostat publication gives 2 October as the date for the next flash estimate. source
Editor's note
HICP figures are the appropriate basis for the European comparison. The national CPI of 3.3 per cent is higher because the measurement method is different; the eurozone figures are based on the latest Eurostat publication of 17 September.Sources
- Inflatie stijgt naar 3,3 procent in augustus — Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek
- Annual inflation up to 3.2% in the euro area — Eurostat
- Consumer prices; HICP 2025=100, Netherlands and Europe — Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „inflatie prijzen”
- NOS — „inflatie prijzen”
- Het Parool — „inflatie prijzen”