According to De Tijd, Belgian inflation is second to lowest in the entire eurozone.
This is due to the fact that the cost of energy is lowering faster than anywhere. Does anyone know why that is the case?

https://www.tijd.be/politiek-economie/belgie-economie/Belgie-heeft-op-een-na-laagste-inflatie-van-eurozone/10471761?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1AcQ3ajeJWO7aKktDNDVipYY3Mx3pc_YxTskiYJ6h2FYjDOPDK1RaSeBE_aem_th_AfSPoDv0sfAz2BXS-h12wkD7YlmYzHmhevaW_j_onf0oWY6ZGJHE-oz2Cxb97Omr0pk#Echobox=1685684661

10 comments

  1. >Does anyone know why that is the case?

    Lot’s of this can be different measurement methodologies rather than real differences.

    For example, last year the Netherlands “had” twice the inflation of all their neighbor countries as well, but there was no real difference.

    They had just decided to assume in their measurements that all people had new energy contracts with the current prices in them rather than making a complicated formula of averaging it over a sliding window of 12 months because this is how long you can block a price for.

    In the long term, that assumption will be fine because people cannot block a price for the long term anyway. But with the short term spikes, it meant that on paper, the Netherlands suddenly “had” twice the inflation of their neighbors.

    I wouldn’t read too much into those numbers.

  2. >This is due to the fact that the cost of energy is lowering faster than anywhere

    Yes, but it would be not fair to look at gas & electricity prices only when they decline, as they say in the article:

    ​

    >*Jonckheere notes that fluctuations in wholesale prices for gas and electricity feed through to consumer prices more quickly because more variable contracts are used compared to other countries. This will work to the advantage of Belgian consumers if wholesale prices fall, as they do now, and to the disadvantage if prices rise, as in 2022.*

  10. >De Belgische inflatie gemeten volgens de Europese definitie is in mei gedaald naar 2,7 procent, blijkt uit cijfers van Eurostat.

    [Consumptieprijsindex](https://statbel.fgov.be/nl/themas/consumptieprijsindex/consumptieprijsindex#:~:text=De%20inflatie%20bedraagt%205%2C20%25&text=De%20consumptieprijsindex%20stijgt%20deze%20maand,%25%20naar%205%2C90%25) ( 30 mei 2023 )

    >De inflatie daalt in mei van 5,60% naar 5,20%.

    Lijkt mij dat dit in april zou zijn volgens dit [Annual inflation up to 7.0% in the euro area](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/16668127/2-17052023-AP-EN.pdf/624d29d7-5a2f-db4a-def2-f9deb1b8136a#:~:text=European%20Union%20annual%20inflation%20was,%25), maar het cijfer 2,7% is van Luxemburg, 3,3% is België. Dus ik weet niet waar ze hun cijfers vandaan halen als het enigste is wat je krijgt als definitie is ” gemeten volgens de Europese definitie”.

    >The lowest annual rates were registered in Luxembourg (2.7%), Belgium (3.3%) and Spain (3.8%). The highest annual rates were recorded in Hungary (24.5%), Latvia (15.0%) and Czechia (14.3%).

    Dit cijfer is ook de Actuele geharmoniseerde inflatie (HICP**)**, niet de effectieve inflatie. [Overzicht actuele HICP inflatie per land / regio](https://www.inflation.eu/nl/inflatiecijfers/hicp-inflatie.aspx) , dewelke nog steeds 5,60 % is.

    En hier [Geharmoniseerde consumptieprijsindex (HICP)](https://statbel.fgov.be/nl/themas/consumptieprijsindex/geharmoniseerde-consumptieprijsindex-hicp)

    >geharmoniseerde consumptieprijsindex met constante belastingvoet (HICP-CT) bedraagt in april 1,3% tegenover 5,6% in maart. Het verschil in inflatie tussen de HICP en HICP-CT is grotendeels te wijten aan de tijdelijke verhoging van de accijnzen op elektriciteit en gas. Met deze prijswijzigingen wordt geen rekening gehouden in de HICP-CT.

    Dus ook geen 2,7% terug te vinden.

    In een ander artikel van dezelfde dag is het dan weer 5,2%: [Belgische inflatie daalt verder naar 5,2 procent](https://archive.is/4d78w#selection-2549.0-2549.99)

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