Inflation in Belgium this month is 8.97 percent. That is the highest annual inflation rate since August 1982, when it stood at 9.02 percent in our neighboring country. Just like in the Netherlands, energy prices in Belgium have risen in particular, according to figures from the statistical office on Monday Statbel.
In March and April, inflation in Belgium still stood at 8.31 percent. Prices have therefore risen faster in May than in the past two months, while inflation in the Netherlands was slightly higher last month weakened.
The price of energy in Belgium is 56.8 percent higher this month than in May last year. Natural gas rose the fastest in price. Belgians pay an average of 130.6 percent more for this than a year earlier. Electricity rose 54.4 percent in price compared to May 2021.
Furthermore, food has again become more expensive in Belgium. Belgians paid more than 6 percent more for this than last year. Television equipment, smartphones and other data processing equipment, such as smartwatches, actually decreased in price compared to the same month in 2021.
Estonia has the highest inflation rate in the EU
EU-wide inflation in April was 8.1 percent† In Estonia, inflation was highest last month at 19.1 percent. Lithuania and the Czech Republic are in second and third place, with 16.6 and 13.2 percent inflation respectively. France and Malta (both 5.4 percent) and Finland (5.8 percent) had the lowest inflation rates in April.
The price of energy has risen sharply due to the war in Ukraine and the corona crisis. According to Eurostat statistics, the rise in energy prices in particular is causing high inflation in many Member States. Statistics Netherlands also said this about the Netherlands earlier.
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