Inflation rate marginally higher

In September 2009, the Dutch inflation rate stood at 0.4 percent, an increase by 0.1 percentage points compared to August. Inflation is defined as the consumer price index (CPI) increase relative to the same month one year previously.

Prices of clothes and airline tickets mainly accounted for the slight increase in September relative to August. Petrol and food prices, on the other hand, had a downward effect on inflation.

The contribution of the various article groups to inflation hardly changed from August to September. Alcoholic drinks and tobacco products became more expensive, accounting for a 0.3 percentage points contribution to inflation. Higher prices in the sector hotels and restaurants accounted for 0.2 percentage points. Price developments in the transport sector had a downward effect on inflation of 0.3 percentage points.

The harmonised consumer price index (HICP) allows comparison between the inflation rates in the various member states of the European Union (EU). According to the HICP, the Netherlands had an inflation rate of 0.0 percent in September. Eurostat, the European statistical office, calculated a deflation rate of 0.3 percent in the eurozone. Consequently, the gap between the Dutch inflation rate and the rate in the rest of the eurozone has widened. In August, the difference between the inflation rate in the Netherlands and in the eurozone was only 0.1 percentage points.

Dutch inflation