Many Britons move here for work and stay for love

18/12/2017 15:00

On 1 January 2016, 43 percent of the 42,500 British citizens residing in the Netherlands were primarily earning a living from employment; nine percent were self-employed. Another 14 percent were still in education while 15 percent had an income from (pension) benefits. This is evident from a survey conducted by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice.

Last year, more than 24 thousand British citizens had lived in the Netherlands for five years or longer. The share of employed earners (i.e. primarily earning a living from employment) among this group was larger than among Britons who had moved here recently; the share that depended on social security (mostly pensions) was larger as well. Relatively many Britons who have lived here for less than five years are enrolled in education or otherwise not earning their own income, for example because they have joined their partner or parent and are not (yet) employed. A contributing factor is that the group who settled here earlier included more people over the age of 65 and fewer minors than the group of recent migrants.

Main source of income British nationals by duration of stay, 1 January 2016
	Employees (%)	Self-employed (%)	Benefit claimants (%)	In education / attending school (%)	Other without income (%)
Shorter than 5 years	41.7	4.1	3.1	18.8	32.3
5 years or longer	46.9	12.3	23.4	4.6	12.8

Main source of income British nationals by duration of stay, 1 January 2016
	Employees (%)	Self-employed (%)	Benefit claimants (%)	In education / attending school (%)	Other without income (%)
Shorter than 5 years	41.7	4.1	3.1	18.8	32.3
5 years or longer	46.9	12.3	23.4	4.6	12.8

Often sharing a household with Dutch people

The Netherlands had 34,870 households on 1 January 2016 in which at least one member was a British citizen. This included 12,760 one-person households. In 68 percent of the multi-person households there were one or more Dutch housemates.
Altogether on 1 January 2016, there were 28,215 Dutch persons and 5,525 people with a different nationality sharing a household with a British citizen. On every 100 long-term British residents (>5 years) there were 93 Dutch household members. The proportion was 29 Dutch on every 100 Britons who had arrived more recently.

Nationality household members by duration of stay of British household member, 1 January 2016
		Households	British	Dutch	Other EU countries	Non-EU countries
Shorter than 5 years	Households	12585
Shorter than 5 years	Members		15570	4520	1345	1280
5 years or longer	Households	19745
5 years or longer	Members		24330	22730	1695	1055

Nationality household members by duration of stay of British household member, 1 January 2016
		Households	British	Dutch	Other EU countries	Non-EU countries
Shorter than 5 years	Households	12585
Shorter than 5 years	Members		15570	4520	1345	1280
5 years or longer	Households	19745
5 years or longer	Members		24330	22730	1695	1055

Often sharing a household with Dutch people

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