Dutch Inflation Confirmed at 15-Month Low

The annual inflation rate in the Netherlands was confirmed at 2.8% in August 2025, easing from 2.9% in July and marking the lowest level since May 2024. The slowdown was largely driven by softer price growth, with food and non-alcoholic beverages rising 4.2%, down from 4.7% in July, while housing and utilities eased to 4.6% from 4.8%. Inflation also moderated significantly for upholstery and household appliances (0.9% vs 3.4%), and to a lesser extent for health (3.3% vs 3.4%) and restaurants and hotels (1.3% vs 1.8%). By contrast, some categories posted modest accelerations: transport prices edged up 1.1% from 1% in July, while recreation and culture rose 3% compared with 2.8% previously. On a monthly basis, consumer prices increased 0.2%, slowing sharply from the 1.2% jump recorded in July. Meanwhile, the harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP), the metric used for EU-wide comparisons, climbed 2.4% year-on-year, slightly below the 2.5% gain in the previous month.