Changes in purchasing power; personal characteristics

Changes in purchasing power; personal characteristics

Sex Person characteristics Periods Median changes in purchasing power (%) Persons with purchasing power decrease (%) Persons with purchasing power increase (%) Changes in purchasing power (percentile) 20th percentile (%) Changes in purchasing power (percentile) 40th percentile (%) Changes in purchasing power (percentile) 60th percentile (%) Changes in purchasing power (percentile) 80th percentile (%)
Total male and female Total persons 2024* 3.6 31.1 68.9 -3.8 1.9 5.7 12.8
Total male and female Age: 0 to 14 years 2024* 5.3 26.3 73.7 -2.5 3.4 7.2 13.1
Total male and female Age: 15 to 24 years 2024* 6.9 29.9 70.1 -6.1 3.8 10.2 20.9
Total male and female Age: 25 to 44 years 2024* 4.6 31.9 68.1 -5.7 2.4 6.8 14.3
Total male and female Age: 45 to 64 years 2024* 3.7 32.7 67.3 -4.3 1.8 5.7 12.7
Total male and female Age: 65 years or older 2024* 1.9 32.0 68.0 -2.5 1.0 2.7 5.7
Total male and female Background: Netherlands 2024* . . . . . . .
Total male and female Background: western 2024* . . . . . . .
Total male and female Background: non-western 2024* . . . . . . .
Total male and female Pos. in hh.: main earner 2024* 2.9 32.3 67.7 -3.5 1.5 4.6 11.1
Total male and female Pos. in hh.: main earner without partner 2024* 2.2 36.1 63.9 -3.7 0.8 3.6 9.8
Total male and female Pos. in hh.: main earner with partner 2024* 3.4 28.4 71.6 -2.5 2.0 5.2 11.0
Total male and female Pos. in hh.: partner of main earner 2024* 3.4 28.4 71.6 -2.5 2.0 5.2 11.0
Total male and female Pos. in hh.: child underage 2024* 5.6 25.4 74.6 -2.1 3.7 7.6 13.8
Total male and female Pos. in hh.: child of age 2024* 6.3 26.8 73.2 -3.0 3.7 9.1 17.8
Total male and female Pos. in hh.: other member 2024* 4.2 31.7 68.3 -4.6 2.0 6.4 14.4
Total male and female SEC: employee 2024* 4.9 27.2 72.8 -2.9 3.0 6.8 13.3
Total male and female SEC: self-employed (total) 2024* 3.1 39.5 60.5 -9.8 0.1 5.9 15.8
Total male and female SEC: benefit recipient and pensioner 2024* 1.8 34.9 65.1 -3.1 0.8 2.6 5.8
Total male and female SEC: benefit claimant 2024* 1.0 46.2 53.8 -4.8 -1.6 3.1 9.4
Total male and female SEC: claiming unemployment benefit 2024* 1.0 47.3 52.7 -15.4 -3.1 4.6 13.6
Total male and female SEC: claiming social provision benefit 2024* -1.3 55.3 44.7 -4.7 -2.8 1.2 8.2
Total male and female SEC: claiming disability benefit 2024* 2.8 36.1 63.9 -4.6 1.0 4.3 10.2
Total male and female SEC: pensioner 2024* 1.8 31.1 68.9 -2.2 1.1 2.6 5.0
Total male and female SEC: (school) child or student 2024* 5.6 27.7 72.3 -3.4 3.4 7.7 14.8
Total male and female SEC: other (without income) 2024* 2.6 37.6 62.4 -6.2 0.5 4.7 12.2
Male Total persons 2024* 3.7 30.9 69.1 -3.9 2.0 5.8 13.0
Male Age: 0 to 14 years 2024* 5.3 26.3 73.7 -2.5 3.4 7.2 13.1
Male Age: 15 to 24 years 2024* 6.9 29.4 70.6 -5.5 3.9 10.1 20.4
Male Age: 25 to 44 years 2024* 4.5 32.8 67.2 -6.1 2.2 6.7 14.4
Male Age: 45 to 64 years 2024* 3.8 31.9 68.1 -4.0 2.0 5.7 12.6
Male Age: 65 years or older 2024* 2.0 31.5 68.5 -2.6 1.1 2.8 6.4
Male Background: Netherlands 2024* . . . . . . .
Male Background: western 2024* . . . . . . .
Male Background: non-western 2024* . . . . . . .
Male Pos. in hh.: main earner 2024* 3.1 31.1 68.9 -3.4 1.6 4.8 11.2
Male Pos. in hh.: main earner without partner 2024* 2.3 36.0 64.0 -4.0 0.8 3.8 10.1
Male Pos. in hh.: main earner with partner 2024* 3.3 28.4 71.6 -2.5 2.0 5.0 10.8
Male Pos. in hh.: partner of main earner 2024* 3.9 28.6 71.4 -2.8 2.3 5.7 11.7
Male Pos. in hh.: child underage 2024* 5.7 25.4 74.6 -2.1 3.7 7.6 13.9
Male Pos. in hh.: child of age 2024* 5.9 27.4 72.6 -3.2 3.4 8.7 17.4
Male Pos. in hh.: other member 2024* 4.2 31.9 68.1 -4.7 2.0 6.5 14.6
Male SEC: employee 2024* 4.9 26.7 73.3 -2.6 3.1 6.7 13.2
Male SEC: self-employed (total) 2024* 2.9 40.1 59.9 -10.0 0.0 5.7 15.7
Male SEC: benefit recipient and pensioner 2024* 1.8 34.4 65.6 -3.1 0.8 2.7 6.1
Male SEC: benefit claimant 2024* 0.6 47.9 52.1 -4.7 -2.0 2.9 9.0
Male SEC: claiming unemployment benefit 2024* 1.6 46.3 53.7 -15.7 -2.9 5.3 14.5
Male SEC: claiming social provision benefit 2024* -2.1 59.9 40.1 -4.7 -3.1 0.0 7.0
Male SEC: claiming disability benefit 2024* 3.0 34.4 65.6 -4.1 1.5 4.4 10.4
Male SEC: pensioner 2024* 1.9 30.0 70.0 -2.0 1.2 2.7 5.4
Male SEC: (school) child or student 2024* 5.6 27.6 72.4 -3.3 3.4 7.7 14.6
Male SEC: other (without income) 2024* 1.9 41.8 58.2 -8.1 -0.4 4.2 12.9
Female Total persons 2024* 3.5 31.3 68.7 -3.8 1.8 5.6 12.7
Female Age: 0 to 14 years 2024* 5.4 26.3 73.7 -2.5 3.5 7.2 13.1
Female Age: 15 to 24 years 2024* 6.9 30.4 69.6 -6.8 3.7 10.2 21.4
Female Age: 25 to 44 years 2024* 4.8 31.0 69.0 -5.2 2.6 7.0 14.3
Female Age: 45 to 64 years 2024* 3.6 33.5 66.5 -4.5 1.6 5.6 12.8
Female Age: 65 years or older 2024* 1.8 32.3 67.7 -2.5 1.0 2.6 5.2
Female Background: Netherlands 2024* . . . . . . .
Female Background: western 2024* . . . . . . .
Female Background: non-western 2024* . . . . . . .
Female Pos. in hh.: main earner 2024* 2.6 34.4 65.6 -3.6 1.1 4.2 10.9
Female Pos. in hh.: main earner without partner 2024* 2.1 36.2 63.8 -3.6 0.7 3.5 9.6
Female Pos. in hh.: main earner with partner 2024* 4.0 28.4 71.6 -2.8 2.4 5.8 11.8
Female Pos. in hh.: partner of main earner 2024* 3.3 28.3 71.7 -2.5 2.0 5.1 10.8
Female Pos. in hh.: child underage 2024* 5.6 25.4 74.6 -2.1 3.7 7.6 13.8
Female Pos. in hh.: child of age 2024* 6.8 25.8 74.2 -2.6 4.2 9.8 18.3
Female Pos. in hh.: other member 2024* 4.2 31.5 68.5 -4.5 2.1 6.4 14.2
Female SEC: employee 2024* 4.9 27.7 72.3 -3.2 3.0 6.8 13.5
Female SEC: self-employed (total) 2024* 3.5 38.4 61.6 -9.4 0.5 6.4 16.0
Female SEC: benefit recipient and pensioner 2024* 1.7 35.3 64.7 -3.1 0.7 2.6 5.6
Female SEC: benefit claimant 2024* 1.2 44.9 55.1 -4.9 -1.3 3.3 9.6
Female SEC: claiming unemployment benefit 2024* 0.6 48.4 51.6 -15.0 -3.4 4.0 12.3
Female SEC: claiming social provision benefit 2024* -0.4 51.7 48.3 -4.7 -2.4 1.8 9.0
Female SEC: claiming disability benefit 2024* 2.6 37.3 62.7 -5.0 0.7 4.2 10.1
Female SEC: pensioner 2024* 1.8 32.0 68.0 -2.3 1.0 2.5 4.6
Female SEC: (school) child or student 2024* 5.6 27.8 72.2 -3.5 3.4 7.7 14.9
Female SEC: other (without income) 2024* 2.7 36.8 63.2 -5.8 0.7 4.8 12.1
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


This table contains figures on the changes of dynamic purchasing power of persons. Changes in purchasing power are only shown for persons with equal characteristics in the reporting year and the year before. The figures in this table are broken down into different person characteristics, like position in the household and age. The population consists of all persons in private households with income on January 1st of the reporting year.

Data available from: 2012.

Status of the figures:
The figures in this table for the period 2012 to 2023 are final. The figures for the period 2024 are preliminary.

Changes as of 11 September 2025:
Figures for 2023 have been finalized. Figures for 2024 have been added.

When will new figures be published?
New figures will be published in September 2026.

Description topics

Median changes in purchasing power
Purchasing power is defined as the equivalised household income adjusted for price developments, which are based on the consumer price index (CPI). Purchasing power is used to determine the growth in income in real terms, but is also used to determine (shifts in) differences in prosperity between individuals or households.

The changes are measured by the median change in purchasing power. The median is the middle value of a dataset that has been ordered from the smallest to the largest. The median value separates the higher half from the lower half.
Persons with purchasing power decrease
Percentage of the selected population with a decreasing purchasing power.
Persons with purchasing power increase
Percentage of the selected population with an increasing purchasing power.
Changes in purchasing power (percentile)
Changes in the individual purchasing power are ordered from low to high. Percentiles indicate the boundaries of the change in purchasing power. A corresponding percentage of the population has a smaller change in purchasing power.
20th percentile
20 percent of the population has a lower purchasing power development than this value or has an equal purchasing power development.
40th percentile
40 percent of the population has a lower purchasing power development than this value or has an equal purchasing power development.
60th percentile
60 percent of the population has a lower purchasing power development than this value or has an equal purchasing power development.
80th percentile
80 percent of the population has a lower purchasing power development than this value or has an equal purchasing power development.