Dutch food prices up 14.5% in ten years

Over the past decade, food prices in the Netherlands increased by 14.5 percent, Statistics Netherlands reported on Monday based on a new analysis of the consumer price index. In May food was 3.8 percent more expensive than in the same month last year, "almost the largest price increase in 10 years", the stats office said.

The price for fruit and vegetables increased the most over the past decade, with nearly 20 percent. The price of meat and fish increased by 18 percent, dairy prices increased 11 percent, and that of bread and grain increased by 11 percent. Other food products, including things like sweets, sauces and herbs, increased by 4.9 percent over the past decade, according to the stats office.

At 14.5 percent, the increase in food prices is slightly below the price increase for other consumer products and services. On average, consumer prices increased by 16 percent in the past decade.

In May of this year, food prices increased by 3.8 percent compared to the same month last year. According to the stats office, over the past decades food prices only increased with similar percentages in January 2013, September 2017, and April 2019. The stats office attributes the high increase in food prices this year to the low VAT rate being increased from 6 to 9 percent in January 2019.

Other consumer goods and services were 2.4 percent more expensive in May than a year before.