Increase social security benefits slows down

• 318 thousand social security benefits
• 3 thousand benefits more in 2nd quarter of 2011
• Marginal increase among men under the age of 27

The most recent figures released by Statistics Netherlands show that the number of social security benefits granted to people under the age of 65 has risen to 318 thousand in the second quarter of 2011, an increase by 3 thousand versus an increase by 8 thousand in the first quarter.

The number of social security benefits has risen for thirty months now. The net increase over this period was 59 thousand, an average increase per quarter of nearly 6 thousand. The increase in this year’s second quarter is far below the average growth level per quarter over the past thirty months.

Altogether, the number of social security benefits grew by 1.1 percent in the second quarter of 2011. With 0.4 percent, the growth among men younger than 27 is marginal, whereas this age category showed the highest growth in the two prior quarters.

In municipalities with a population of 100 thousand or more, Almere shows the highest relative growth in two years. At the end of June this year, more than 4,500 social security benefits were granted in Almere, an increase by 36 percent from two years previously. The nationwide increase is 18 percent. The smallest increase in the category municipalities with more than 100 thousand residents is Breda, where the number of social security benefits grew by 3 percent.