Products have risen in price by more than 11%

In June 2022, consumers in the Netherlands paid on average more than 11% more for food than a year earlier. At the same time, the overall rate of growth in prices for goods and services is 8,6%. This is reported by the Central Bureau of Statistics (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, CBS) based on an analysis of the consumer price index.

Peak price growth

Food prices have risen as sharply as this year in the Netherlands only twice in the last 50 years:

1. By more than 10% on average per year, prices rose in 1976.
2. In 2001, price growth was also high, but somewhat lower than now.

In June 2022, no food category dropped in price.

Meat has risen in price by 16%

Meat and fish have risen in price the most. A steak in June 2022 will cost more than 16% more than a year earlier. Fish has risen in price by 10%. At the same time, the average consumer spends 5 times more on meat than on fish.

Dairy products have also risen in price. For them, price growth in the past was the highest in August 2008 - more than 14%. Butter is rising in price the fastest. Prices for other oils and fats are also rising, in particular for margarine and olive oil.

Distribution of expenses by categories

Most of the food expenses are for meat and fish. The average consumer spends about 11% of their income on food, totaling almost 45 billion euros in 2021. A quarter of this amount falls on meat and fish, 23% - on fruits and vegetables, 21% - on bread and cereals. Dairy products account for 14% of total food spending.

Producer prices

Consumer food prices follow producer prices. And food producer prices have been on the rise for some time now, rising nearly 23% in May 2022 from a year earlier. However, a long supply chain slows down this effect. Producer prices are closely related to food prices on the world market.

Comparison with other EU countries

The increase in food prices in the European Union in June 2022 is not yet known. In May 2022, price increases in the Netherlands were around the European Union average. In Belgium, the rise in prices was somewhat slower than in the Netherlands, while in Germany prices rose somewhat more appreciably. Also, the rise in food prices was more significant than in the Netherlands, in the countries of Eastern Europe.