Negotiated wages up by 4.5 percent in the first quarter
- Increases range from 3.4 percent in the public sector to 4.9 percent in the private sector.
- Real estate management sector saw the largest increase in wages at 8.1 percent.
- Contracted wage costs rose by 4.4 percent, almost the same as negotiated wages.
In the first quarter of 2026, collectively negotiated wages (hourly wages including special remuneration) were 4.5 percent higher, year on year. That compares with an increase of 5.4 percent in the first quarter of 2025. Wage growth peaked in the third quarter of 2024 at 6.8 percent, and has been slowing since then. After adjusting for inflation, wages in Q1 were 2.0 percent higher, on average. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of new figures.
| Jaar | Kwartaal | Negotiated wages (incl. special remuneration) (% year-on-year change) |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Q1 | 1.8 |
| 2016 | Q2 | 1.8 |
| 2016 | Q3 | 2.0 |
| 2016 | Q4 | 1.8 |
| 2017 | Q1 | 1.3 |
| 2017 | Q2 | 1.3 |
| 2017 | Q3 | 1.4 |
| 2017 | Q4 | 1.5 |
| 2018 | Q1 | 1.8 |
| 2018 | Q2 | 1.8 |
| 2018 | Q3 | 2.1 |
| 2018 | Q4 | 2.2 |
| 2019 | Q1 | 2.3 |
| 2019 | Q2 | 2.6 |
| 2019 | Q3 | 2.7 |
| 2019 | Q4 | 2.8 |
| 2020 | Q1 | 3.0 |
| 2020 | Q2 | 2.8 |
| 2020 | Q3 | 3.0 |
| 2020 | Q4 | 2.8 |
| 2021 | Q1 | 2.2 |
| 2021 | Q2 | 2.2 |
| 2021 | Q3 | 1.9 |
| 2021 | Q4 | 1.9 |
| 2022 | Q1 | 2.7 |
| 2022 | Q2 | 3.0 |
| 2022 | Q3 | 3.5 |
| 2022 | Q4 | 3.7 |
| 2023 | Q1 | 5.6 |
| 2023 | Q2 | 5.8 |
| 2023 | Q3 | 6.3 |
| 2023 | Q4 | 6.8 |
| 2024 | Q1 | 6.6 |
| 2024 | Q2 | 6.4 |
| 2024 | Q3 | 6.8 |
| 2024 | Q4 | 6.5 |
| 2025* | Q1 | 5.4 |
| 2025* | Q2 | 5.3 |
| 2025* | Q3 | 4.6 |
| 2025* | Q4 | 4.6 |
| 2026* | Q1 | 4.5 |
| * provisional figures | ||
Largest increase in the private sector
Negotiated wages in the private sector rose by the most, at 4.9 percent. That was also the case in Q1 of 2025. Meanwhile, wages in the public sector rose by the least, and again that was also the case in Q1 of 2025. In the semi-public sector (subsidised institutions), the increase was 4.1 percent.
| Sector | Q1 2026* (% year-on-year change) | Q1 2025* (% year-on-year change) |
|---|---|---|
| Private sector | 4.9 | 5.7 |
| Total | 4.5 | 5.4 |
| Semi-private sector (subsidised institutions) | 4.1 | 4.9 |
| Public sector | 3.4 | 4.8 |
| * provisional fgiures | ||
Highest wage growth in real estate activities sector
Negotiated wages grew by the most in the real estate activities sector (housing associations) in Q1 2026, up by 8.1 percent year on year. In Q1 2025, wages in this sector were unchanged. The construction sector, with a rise of 7.2 percent, was also among the sectors with the highest wage growth in Q1 2026.
The water supply and waste management sector saw the lowest wage growth, at 1.7 percent. Public administration is also among the sectors with the lowest wage growth, at 3.0 percent.
| bedrijfstak | Q1 2026* (% year-on-year change) | Q1 2025* (% year-on-year change) |
|---|---|---|
| Real estate activities | 8.1 | 0.0 |
| Construction | 7.2 | 6.2 |
| Financial services | 5.8 | 4.7 |
| Specialised business services | 5.7 | 4.6 |
| Culture, sport & recreation | 5.2 | 4.3 |
| Manufacturing | 4.7 | 6.1 |
| Rental, leasing & other business services | 4.7 | 6.5 |
| Total | 4.5 | 5.4 |
| Other services | 4.4 | 8.8 |
| Trade | 4.2 | 4.8 |
| Education | 4.1 | 5.0 |
| Health & well-being | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Accommodation & food services | 3.8 | 4.9 |
| Transport & storage | 3.7 | 4.5 |
| Agriculture, forestry & fishing | 3.5 | 4.4 |
| Energy supply | 3.4 | 3.9 |
| Information & communication | 3.3 | 9.2 |
| Public administration & government services | 3.0 | 4.8 |
| Water & waste management | 1.7 | 6.6 |
| * provisional figures | ||
Rise in contractual wage costs mirrors rise in negotiated wages
Contractual wage costs – made up of negotiated wages plus employer contributions (pensions and social insurance) – rose by 4.4 percent in Q1 2026. This is very similar to the rise in collective agreement wages. In 2026, the employer’s contribution specified in the Health Insurance Act (ZVW) decreased, but employer contributions to the Return to Work Fund (WHK) increased. This consists of the average WGA (Return to Work Fund for Partially Disabled Persons) and contributions payable under the Sickness Benefits Act (WAO).
Real wage growth of 2.0 percent
Real growth in negotiated wages (i.e. the change in negotiated wages adjusted for inflation) stood at 2.0 percent in Q1 2026. Real wages have now been on the rise for ten consecutive quarters.
| Jaar | Kwartaal | Change in negotiated wages (incl. special remuneration) (% year-on-year change) | Real change in negotiated wages (% year-on-year change) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Q1 | 1.8 | 1.2 |
| 2016 | Q2 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
| 2016 | Q3 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 2016 | Q4 | 1.8 | 1.1 |
| 2017 | Q1 | 1.3 | -0.2 |
| 2017 | Q2 | 1.3 | 0.0 |
| 2017 | Q3 | 1.4 | 0.0 |
| 2017 | Q4 | 1.5 | 0.1 |
| 2018 | Q1 | 1.8 | 0.6 |
| 2018 | Q2 | 1.8 | 0.3 |
| 2018 | Q3 | 2.1 | 0.1 |
| 2018 | Q4 | 2.2 | 0.2 |
| 2019 | Q1 | 2.3 | -0.2 |
| 2019 | Q2 | 2.6 | -0.1 |
| 2019 | Q3 | 2.7 | 0.0 |
| 2019 | Q4 | 2.8 | 0.1 |
| 2020 | Q1 | 3.0 | 1.4 |
| 2020 | Q2 | 2.8 | 1.4 |
| 2020 | Q3 | 3.0 | 1.7 |
| 2020 | Q4 | 2.8 | 1.7 |
| 2021 | Q1 | 2.2 | 0.5 |
| 2021 | Q2 | 2.2 | 0.4 |
| 2021 | Q3 | 1.9 | 0.2 |
| 2021 | Q4 | 1.9 | -1.2 |
| 2022 | Q1 | 2.7 | -0.9 |
| 2022 | Q2 | 3.0 | -2.6 |
| 2022 | Q3 | 3.5 | -3.5 |
| 2022 | Q4 | 3.7 | -6.1 |
| 2023 | Q1 | 5.6 | -5.1 |
| 2023 | Q2 | 5.8 | -3.3 |
| 2023 | Q3 | 6.3 | -1.4 |
| 2023 | Q4 | 6.8 | 3.5 |
| 2024 | Q1 | 6.6 | 4.1 |
| 2024 | Q2 | 6.4 | 3.8 |
| 2024 | Q3 | 6.8 | 3.1 |
| 2024 | Q4 | 6.5 | 2.5 |
| 2025* | Q1 | 5.4 | 1.7 |
| 2025* | Q2 | 5.3 | 1.7 |
| 2025* | Q3 | 4.6 | 1.6 |
| 2025* | Q4 | 4.6 | 1.7 |
| 2026* | Q1 | 4.5 | 2.0 |
| * provisional figures | |||
The provisional figures for Q1 2026 are based on 93 percent of the collective labour agreements from which the statistics are compiled. Three-quarters of employees in the Netherlands are covered by collective labour agreements.