Inflation went up again to 6.4% in December when calculated according to European methods, EU statistics agency Eurostat said on Friday in its preliminary estimates.

Inflation has been rising steadily since the summer, driven by soaring gas and electricity prices, which were up 26% in the final month of the year. In November, the Dutch inflation rate hit 5.9%.

The EU average was 5% in December, up marginally from November, Eurostat said.

The Netherlands currently has the sixth highest inflation rate in the eurozone. In neighbouring Belgium, the figure is 6.5%, in Germany 5.7%.

Calculated according to the Dutch system, inflation was 5.2% in November. The December figure will be published next week.