THE HAGUE, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Statistics Netherlands (CBS) said on Friday that the Netherlands' inflation rate rose to 3.1 percent in July with flash estimate, up from 2.9 percent in June.
According to CBS, higher oil prices were the main driver of the increase. In July, prices of energy and motor fuels rose 9.7 percent year-on-year, compared with a 6 percent increase in June. Service prices were unchanged, while prices of non-energy goods rose 0.8 percent, slightly faster than in June.
In February, before the Middle East conflict, inflation in the Netherlands stood at 2.4 percent. It rose to 3.5 percent in May, partly due to higher airfares resulting from increased fuel costs. Inflation then eased to 2.9 percent in June as energy and motor fuel prices rose at a slower pace.
Marcel Klok, senior economist at ING Netherlands, said earlier this month that inflation could remain volatile for the rest of 2026, as prices for expiring household energy contracts were still trending upward and other consumer prices might continue to reflect the lagged effects of the earlier energy price spike.
The flash estimate is based on source data that are not yet complete. CBS will release the final figures for July on Aug. 11, 2026. ■