The annual inflation rate in the Netherlands was confirmed at 2.7% in March 2026, up from 2.4% in each of the previous two months, when it had reached its lowest level in more than two years. This was also the fastest pace of price growth since December 2025, largely driven by a sharp increase in motor fuel prices (petrol, diesel, and LPG), which surged 18.7% year-on-year after a 2.6% rise in February.
Price growth also picked up for food and non-alcoholic beverages (0.2% vs 0.1% previously) and for transport overall (0.6% vs 0.4%). Inflation remained unchanged in several categories, including housing and utilities (0.9%), miscellaneous goods and services (0.2%), insurance and financial services (0.2%), and recreation, sports, and culture (0.2%). By contrast, inflation eased slightly for restaurants and accommodation services, to 0.3% from 0.4%.
On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.7% in March, slowing from a 1.0% increase in February. Meanwhile, HICP inflation, which excludes owner-occupied housing, accelerated to 2.6% year-on-year from 2.3% in the previous month.
