Dutch households face rising financial strain, Nibud reports

The Dutch consumer agency Nibud, based on a survey of over 2,500 residents, says the share of households that are struggling to make ends meet has risen from about 32 % in 2024 to 38 % now. Among young adults aged 18‑30, the proportion facing difficulty has jumped to 54 %. Concern over personal finances also increased, with 33 % of respondents almost always worried, up from 27 % a year earlier.

A quarter of households say they cannot pay their bills this year, reflecting low financial buffers: roughly one‑third have €2,500 or less in savings and a quarter have under €1,000. Nibud director Mattias Gijsbertsen warned that such small reserves "don’t give you much to absorb shocks." Despite the pressures, more than half of households expect to manage financially over the next twelve months, 35 % are likely to do so, while 7 % anticipate a difficult year ahead.