© picture alliance / imageBROKER | Raimund Franken
For the first time since the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran on February 28 of this year, the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics has released figures on the Dutch economy. These show that economic growth has virtually stalled.
Gross domestic product (GDP) increased 0.1 percent in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the fourth quarter of 2025, CBS reported. In the fourth quarter of 2025, GDP growth was 0.4 percent.
Fixed investment, including aircraft and machinery, rose 0.7 percent compared to last year's fourth quarter and government consumption rose 0.5 percent. Exports of goods fell 1.2 percent.
Compared to the first quarter of 2025, the Dutch economy grew 1.2 percent, mainly due to the change in inventories and government consumption.
CBS also announced inflation figures for the month of April: inflation is 2.8 percent compared to April of last year. The culprit for inflationary pressures are high fuel prices.
The longer the conflict in the Middle East lasts, with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the blocking of fossil fuels from the region, the more the higher energy prices are expected to have their effect on the general economy.
(© TPJ /Picture: picture alliance / imageBROKER | Raimund Franken)