In addition to oils and fats, the prices of milk, cheese and eggs in particular have skyrocketed in supermarkets in the past year. Figures from the Netherlands Statistics Authority (CBS) show that recent products were 28 percent more expensive in December compared to the year before.

Meat and fish also became much more expensive, up about 18 percent. Bread became 16 percent more expensive and vegetables about 14 percent more expensive.

Gas and electricity remained the main drivers of inflation, although their prices have fallen somewhat recently.

Statistics Netherlands has set the inflation rate for the whole of 2022 at 10.0%. Inflation has not been this high since 1975. By comparison, the inflation rate in 2021 was still 2.7%.

This percentage is important for companies and real estate owners who will raise their prices this year. They usually use the inflation figure set by Statistics Netherlands for this purpose.

In the private rental sector, this figure is not used to increase rents. There is a maximum of 4.1 percent.

Therefore, gas and electricity prices have dropped in recent months, but energy is still much more expensive than it was a year ago. In December, the price of gas was 60 percent higher and electricity 45 percent higher. Fuel was 7 percent cheaper than the previous year.

Higher energy prices affect more and more other products. Food was 17 percent more expensive in December than it was twelve months ago.