The Dutch annual rate of inflation stood at 2.4% in January, down 0.4 percentage points compared with December’s figure, according to provisional calculations by national statistics office CBS.

Month on month, consumer prices were down 0.7% – without taking seasonal influences, such as the annual retail sales, into account. Food and beverages in particular were cheaper in January, the CBS said, while energy was slightly more expensive.

The CBS publishes two separate figures for inflation. The second is calculated according to EU methods, which do not take the cost of rental housing into account.

The HICP figure for January is 2.2%, compared with 2.7% in December, which is likely to be still above the eurozone average.