Inflation is measured every month as the development of the consumer price index (CPI) compared to the same month in the previous year. The CPI also provides insight into price development compared to a month earlier. Consumer goods and services were 0.1 percent cheaper in September than in August.
The price development of motor fuels contributed to the increase in inflation. In September 2025, motor fuels were 3.6 percent more expensive than in September 2024, while in August 2025, motor fuels were 2.0 percent cheaper than a year earlier. The price development of a stay in a bungalow park also had an upward effect on inflation.
Compared to August, prices for consumers fell by 0,1 percent in September. A note on comparing two different months in the year is that one must take into account the influence of the season. For example, plane tickets are more expensive during holiday months than in other months. Prices are temporarily higher, but this is not a structural price increase.
CBS publishes two different figures for inflation. One based on the consumer price index (CPI) and one based on the European harmonized consumer price index (HICP). According to the HICP, consumer goods and services in the Netherlands were 3.0 percent more expensive in September than in the same month last year. In August, inflation according to the HICP was 2.4 percent. Inflation in the eurozone rose from 2.0 percent in August to 2.2 percent in September.
The prices of energy were lower in the eurozone in September 2025 than in September last year, while in the Netherlands they were higher. Additionally, the price increase for industrial goods and food, beverages, and tobacco and services in September on an annual basis in the Netherlands was greater than the average in the eurozone.
To compare inflation between countries, EU member states calculate a consumer price index according to internationally agreed definitions and methods. The European Central Bank uses the HICP for monetary policy in the eurozone. Additionally, most countries also have their own national price index.
The main difference between the CPI and the HICP for the Netherlands is that the HICP, unlike the CPI, does not take into account the costs of living in ones own home. In the CPI, these costs are calculated based on the development of housing rents. However, this is not the only difference. These differences are further explained in a publication.
Starting in 2026, the CPI and HICP will switch to a new base year, from 2015=100 to 2025=100. Previously published inflation figures will not be revised. The transition will also involve an update of the classification of goods and services in use, which better aligns with changing consumption patterns. Moreover, from 2026, the CPI will be more aligned with the HICP. The first results according to the new series with reference year 2025 will be published in early February 2026. More information can be found in the method document The consumer price index from 2026.
In the long research description CBS explains what the CPI measures and how the index is calculated. The consumer prices dashboard shows inflation according to the CPI and HICP. Additionally, the dashboard highlights the price developments of a number of consumer goods and services in more detail. The personal inflation calculator provides insight into the development of consumer prices for an individual consumption profile.
For the consumer price index of Caribbean Netherlands see Caribbean Netherlands; consumer price index (CPI) 2017=100.
