Dutch inflation hit 6.4% in December

Inflation in the Netherlands rose to 6.4 percent compared to the same month a year earlier, Statistics Netherlands reported based on the European harmonized method. According to that method, the currency depreciation in November was 5.9 percent.

Prices have been rising for a long time. This is partly due to the faltering restart of the economy after the coronavirus crisis, which still causes shortages of certain materials. Changing behavior also causes price increases. The cardboard price has risen due to the sharp increase in online shopping. Finally, the sharp rise in energy prices also plays an important role in inflation.

Next week, Statistics Netherlands will release Dutch inflation according to its own calculation method. It is usually slightly lower and stood at 5.2 percent in November. The stats office released the European harmonized figures early in anticipation of the Eurostat announcement of inflation in the eurozone.

The methods of the different European countries for calculating inflation differ slightly. For example, they may weigh various aspects differently. The European harmonized method (HICP) was devised to compare all these inflation figures.