Growth in debt restructuring levelling out

In 2006 Dutch judges pronounced 14.9 thousand debt restructuring arrangements. This has put an end to the increase in the number of restructuring arrangements in recent years.

Debt restructuring arrangements by legal form

Increasing stabilisation

The number of debt restructuring arrangements was only 1.4 percent higher in 2006 than in 2005. This is  a much smaller increase than in the preceding years. The increase on 2005 was caused by a slight increase for persons without their own business. For persons with their own business the number of restructuring arrangements has been decreasing since 2005.

Friesland fewest, Flevoland most restructured debts

There were an average 91 debt restructuring arrangements per 100 thousand inhabitants across the Netherlands in 2006. Traditionally the number is relatively lowest in the province of Friesland, and it fell by another 18 percent there in 2006. The highest number of debt restructuring arrangements was in the province of Flevoland: 173 per 100 thousand inhabitants in 2006.

Increase in large cities

The average number of debt restructuring arrangements per inhabitant is traditionally higher in municipalities with more than 50 thousand inhabitants than in smaller municipalities. In large municipalities the percentage of low-income households is larger than in smaller municipalities. In municipalities with more than 150 thousand inhabitants, the relative number of debt restructuring arrangements rose from an average 115 to 125 per 100 thousand inhabitants. 

Debt restructuring arrangements by province and size of municipality

Persons with restructured debts older

The number of restructuring arrangements for persons aged over 35 years rose in 2006, while there was a decrease for persons aged under 35 years.
The average age of persons for whom a debt restructuring arrangement was pronounced in 2006 rose from 40 years in 2005 to 41 years. This increase is clearly larger than dictated purely on the grounds of the population composition.

Debt restructuring by age

Rudolf Timmermans and Wim Vissers