Inflation up by 6.1 percent, mainly due to grocery prices

Inflation in the Netherlands rose by 6.1 percent last month compared to the same month last year. That has the Central Bureau of Statistics Thursday announced. This means that inflation is again slightly higher than in April; then it was 5.2 percent.

Groceries in particular have become more expensive; food prices were 12.8 percent higher than last year. Energy, on the other hand, became 18.5 percent cheaper. For a long time, energy was the main driver of the sharply rising inflation due to the war in Ukraine, but since September 2022 the price has been falling again.

Wages rose less quickly than inflation. In May, salaries were on average 5.7 percent higher than twelve months previously. In recent months, unions have frequently struck for higher wages, partly so that their members can keep up with the rising cost of living. The European inflation figures will be announced later on Thursday.

Read also The ‘dry’ inflation rate may be falling, but the underlying problem remains

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