Dutch inflation falls in August

Inflation in the Netherlands fell to 2.8 percent in August, bucking a recent trend of increasing inflation, the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday. In July, inflation was 3.1 percent, the highest inflation rate in five years, while in June it was 2.9 percent. Inflation in August mainly fell due to the price fall of gasoline. In August, a liter of petrol was nearly 2 cents cheaper than in August 2012. The prices of clothes and holidays abroad also had a downward effect on inflation. The highest Dutch inflation percentage of the last ten years was measured in July and August 2008, both 3.2 percent, and the lowest was recorded in July 2009, 0.2 percent. Dutch inflation is currently still relatively high, compared to other euro zone countries. In the euro zone, inflation fell to 1.3 percent in August, a decline of 0.3 percent compared to July.