The rate of inflation in the Netherlands averaged 1.3% last year but still remains one of the highest in the EU, national statistics office CBS said on Tuesday.

The consumer price index halved last year when compared with 2019, when the rise in value added tax on food and entertainment pushed the figure up to 2.6%.

In addition, energy prices and the cost of fuel were down sharply in 2020 and average household energy bills fell by some 12%, the CBS said.

Calculated according to the European harmonised price index HICP, Dutch goods and services were 1.1% more expensive last year, compared with 2.7% in 2019. That is one of the highest rates in the eurozone, the CBS figures show.