Financial health of the Netherlands improves

Rotterdam, 23 april 2026

The latest edition of the study into the financial health of Dutch households shows a small improvement compared with last year, but 44% of households remain Financially Vulnerable or Financially Unhealthy (47% in 2024). The share of Financially Healthy households increased from 30% to 33%, while the share of Financially Unhealthy households decreased from 22% to 20%.

The annual study, started in 2021, was developed and carried out by Deloitte in collaboration with Nibud and academics from Tilburg University and Leiden University. It examines five domains: Income, Expenditure, Savings, Borrowing and Planning. The study maps the financial health of Dutch households by measuring and analysing the interactions between these five domains.

In the presence of Her Majesty Queen Máxima, the national savings campaign will be launched this afternoon at the Ministry of Finance. The campaign is an initiative of Stichting Financieel Gezond Nederland (SFGN), in collaboration with Wijzer in geldzaken, and aims to structurally strengthen the financial resilience of Dutch households.

The report on the financial health of Dutch households will be presented to Her Majesty Queen Máxima during this event.

Key findings

Young adults remain financially squeezed
Young adults (18–24) are the most Vulnerable: only 10% are Financially Healthy; 75% fall into the two lowest levels, Financially Vulnerable or Financially Unhealthy. They save less regularly (55%), have debts more often and experience high housing costs as a major pressure point.

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) gains ground
BNPL has grown strongly and is especially popular among people up to 44 years old. 42% of 18–24-year-olds, 50% of 25–34-year-olds and 43% of 35–44-year-olds have used BNPL in the past year. 54% of BNPL users fall into the Financially Vulnerable or Financially Unhealthy levels. They often have smaller buffers, more variable incomes and more existing debts (56% versus 44% on average). This suggests an association between BNPL use and poorer financial health, but no causal relationship can be established from the study.

Women make progress, but men stay slightly ahead
In 2025 The catch-up that women started in 2024 relative to men stalled
in 2025. Both groups made progress, but the gap remains large: 36% of men are Financially Healthy, compared to 29% of women. On a positive note, more women fall into the top two health levels for the first time (51% in 2025 versus 49% in 2024), but the gap with men (61% in the top two health levels) remains 10 percentage points. Men are more likely to have money left over, to manage (very) easily and to report that their spending is lower than their income.

Domain highlights
For the first time since 2021, the study shows an improvement in the area of financial planning

1. Income
   The income domain showed the strongest improvement: the share of households that manage (very) easily rose from 57% (2024) to 61% (2025). Incomes were more often predictable: 59% received an income comparable to previous years (2024: 55%). Wage increases in 2025 were slightly above inflation.
2. Expenditure
   The overall picture remained largely stable: 63% of households had expenditures (much) lower than their income (2024: 62%). The share that can (very) easily pay necessary costs rose from 56% to 59%. At the same time, Financially Vulnerable and Financially Unhealthy households more often struggle to pay bills without problems. Four in five households (79%) did not have to forgo anything last year due to lack of money; among Financially Unhealthy households this was 33%.
   
3. Savings
   Saving continues: 73% save monthly (2024: 71%). Among Financially Healthy households 97% save regularly. About 65% can manage for at least six months if their main income disappears (2024: 64%). The share of people saving more than €1,000 per month rose slightly (18% → 20%).
   
4. Borrowing
   The positive trend stalled for borrowing: 44% of households had consumer debt in 2025 (2024: 43%). Fewer households expected to repay their debts within a year last year without changing their lifestyle (29% → 25%).
5. Planning
   The share of Dutch households that have made concrete pension plans rose from 74% (2024) to 77% in 2025, and confidence that major financial goals (such as buying a house) are achievable increased from 43% to 46%. Just over a quarter of households still make no financial plans.

Peter van Loon, Partner Financial Services at Deloitte:"Finances and financial health are complicated in themselves. It affects everyone and requires continuous adaptability. A large part of the Netherlands cannot keep up and does not have enough savings to absorb unexpected setbacks. The figures show that financial health remains a challenge and that this requires ongoing attention from all of us."

To improve the financial health of all households and reduce the group of financially Vulnerable and financially Unhealthy households, the report contains concrete actions for policymakers, employers, financial institutions and households themselves, including:

• Keep financial health permanently on the agenda of government, employers, financial institutions and social organisations. 
• Implement targeted, preventive measures for young adults, vulnerable people aged 65+ and full time workers with below average incomes.
• Encourage talking about money and provide low threshold information and calculation tools (for example, an annual financial check up).

Research methodology
Deloitte carried out the fifth study into the financial health of Dutch households in 2025. In November 2025, 5,000 respondents were surveyed about their behaviour, attitudes and knowledge regarding the underlying domains Income, Expenditure, Savings, Borrowing and Planning and the balance between them.The study was developed and conducted in collaboration with Nibud and academics from Tilburg University and Leiden University. The results are weighted and representative by age, gender, region and income. The questionnaire was administered online and presented in Dutch.