Quarter of a million children depend on income support

More than 7 percent of children in the Netherlands under 18 years of age lived in a household that dependent on income support in 2007. This is a total of just over 250 thousand children. Children aged under 5 years were slightly less likely than older children to live in a household claiming income support.

Percentage of children in households claiming income support in 2007, by age

Children in non-western foreign households more likely to depend on income support

Children with a non-western foreign background were more likely than average to live in a household claiming income support . About 30 percent of all children with a Moroccan, Antillean and other non-western background lived in a household claiming income support. This percentage was lower, around 20 percent, for children with a Turkish and Surinamese background. Dependence of income support was lowest form native Dutch children: 3 percent. One reason for the differences is that relatively more people with a non-western foreign background claim income support, and the number of children in these families is also often larger.

Percentage of children in households claiming income support in 2007, by ethnic background

One quarter of children in Rotterdam depend on income support

Children in the four large cities are more likely to live in a household claiming income support than children in other municipalities. Nearly one quarter of children younger than 18 years in Rotterdam depended on an income support benefit, followed by one fifth of children in Amsterdam. Relatively more children with a non-western foreign background live in the four large cities than in other municipalities.

Percentage of children in households claiming income support in 2007, by municipality

Lotte Oostrom