Inflation falls to 4.4% in March, CBS says in new flash estimate
The annual rate of inflation fell to 4.4% in March, the lowest rate in 18 months, national statistics office CBS said on Friday in a flash estimate. In February inflation was around 8%.
The decline is due to plunging energy prices, and food remains 15% more expensive than a year ago, the CBS said. The estimate is based on incomplete data and will be revised later in the month.
Calculated according to European methods, which excludes the impact of rental housing, inflation was 4.5% this month, down from 8.9% in February, the CBS said.
The agency is also working on a new method of calculating energy prices based on actual contracts rather than new ones. That will come into effect in June this year.
Despite the good news on inflation and improving consumer confidence, the CBS said on Friday that the overall economic picture in the Netherlands is slightly more negative than in previous months.
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