Dutch inflation picks up in February as food prices surge

AMSTERDAM, March 2 (Reuters) – Inflation in the Netherlands picked up again in February after four months of deceleration, driven by surging food prices, Dutch statistics agency CBS said on Thursday.

Consumer prices, harmonised to be comparable with inflation data from other European Union countries (HICP), were 8.9% higher than a year before, following an 8.4% reading in January.

The growth was mainly driven by food prices, which were 15% higher on average than in February last year.

Inflation in the euro zone’s fifth-largest economy peaked at 17% in September last year.