Inflation drops below 3 percent
© ANP / Sabine Joosten
Inflation in Belgium fell to 2.91 percent in March, and thus drops below the 3 percent border for the first time since August. This is apparent from data from the Statelbel statistics agency.
In February, inflation still amounted to 3.55 percent and even at 4.08 percent in January. Now she drops, but she is not yet at the level of 2 percent that the European Central Bank is striving for.
Subscriptions for mobile telephony (-20.5 percent), smartphones (-13.4 percent), televisions (-12.9 percent) and computers (-11.1 percent) fell sharply in price compared to a year ago.
Strong risers were cigarettes (+27.2 percent), natural gas (+25.4 percent), other tobacco strokes (23 percent), household services (22.6 percent) and electricity (+20.2 percent).
On a monthly basis it is striking that fruit (+5.6 percent) and sugar products (4.3 percent) became more expensive. Motor fuels (-3.9 percent) and clothing (-3.3 percent) became cheaper compared to February.
Faster than expected
UGent economist Stijn Baert notes in a series of messages on the Social Network X that inflation is falling back faster than expected. After all, the Planning Bureau assumed 3.3 percent inflation in March.
« The faster decrease in inflation could mean that the next exceeding the pivot index (and the increase in benefits, pensions and wages at the government) will only be before October and not, as expected, before August. »
In the figures, Baert also saw confirmation of media reports about more expensive Easter eggs. Chocolate is now 11 percent more expensive than a year ago, he says. Within food, only olive oil (14.8 percent) rose more in price.
