News Blog Netherlands July 27 2025

Nearly 1 in 3 people living in poverty has problematic debt

(NETHERLANDS) Nearly one in three people in the Netherlands living in poverty has problematic debt. This is reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) based on figures from 2023. In that year, according to CBS, 163,000 people living in poverty had registered problematic debts.

This could include a debt owed to the Tax and Customs Administration, a registered payment arrears with the Credit Registration Office (BKR), or arrears in health insurance premiums or traffic fines. The extent to which these debts are considered problematic depends on factors such as their amount and duration.
According to CBS standards, 540,000 people in the Netherlands lived in poverty in 2023. Problematic debt also occurs in households just above this level (1.2 million people), albeit relatively less (22 percent). This amounts to 265,000 people. Someone is living in poverty if, after paying fixed costs such as housing, utilities, and healthcare, they have insufficient money to spend on other basic needs.
Until 2024, a much higher number of people were assumed to be living in poverty, but Statistics Netherlands (CBS) now uses a definition that is more accurate. As a result, the group has more than halved in five years. However, for the remaining group of people in poverty, the severity of their financial shortages has increased.
In 2023, the poverty line was set at a monthly income of €1,510 for a single person. For a couple with two young children, that amount was €2,535.
(Source: NOS.nl)