Dutch official inflation steady at 2.5% in March

THE HAGUE, Apr 5 – Dutch inflation held steady at 2.5 percent in March on a 12-month basis, the the Netherlands’ statistics service said Thursday.

“Inflation stood at 2.5 percent in March for the third consecutive month,” Statistics Netherlands said in a statement Prices rose 1.1 percent from February.

Energy prices continued to be the main driver of inflation, up 8.6 percent over the year, although they were stable over the month. Modest increases in food prices, up 1.8 percent over the year, helped keep overall inflation down.

When calculated according to a harmonised index that allows for comparison across the 17-nation eurozone, inflation in the Netherlands stood at 2.9 percent in March, higher than the eurozone average of 2.6 percent.