Most Dutch concerned about wealth distribution; 20% can’t make ends meet

Most Netherlands residents want to distribute the wealth in the country more fairly. This desire is widely shared among voters from all political parties, according to a representative survey by Ipsos on behalf of NOS. A separate study showed that 21 percent of Netherlands residents struggle to pay fixed costs like rent and energy.

Nearly two-thirds of Netherlands residents, 64 percent, think it is important to decrease the prosperity gaps in the country, according to the Ipsos study. Left-wing parties feel that desire most strongly at 80 percent, but even 43 percent of VVD voters want a fairer wealth distribution.

According to Dutch voters, the government can achieve that goal by making companies and rich people pay more taxes. Sixty percent want higher taxes for companies, 56 percent suggested levying more taxes on higher incomes, and 49 percent recommended increasing the wealth tax.

Netherlands residents are still overwhelmingly pessimistic about the country's future, with 72 percent saying the Netherlands is going in the wrong direction. However, that is slightly less than the 77 percent who shared the sentiment last year.

The government’s purchasing power measures seem to have helped a bit. Compared to last year, more Netherlands residents feel confident they can make ends meet, 51 percent vs. 44 percent. However, the number of Dutch who have been cutting back for several years is still increasing (57 percent). A few years ago, it was well below half. About 30 percent worry that their financial situation will worsen next year.

Can’t make ends meet

Another representative study conducted by research agency MWM2 for the newspaper AD showed that 21 percent of Netherlands residents have trouble paying their fixed costs. That is between 1.5 and 1.9 million households. In addition, 29 percent are worried about paying their bills in the near future. And 19 percent think they have insufficient buffers for unexpected events.

Money worries mainly affect young people under 35 (36 percent) and people with a disposable income below 2,000 euros (32 percent). These groups most often indicated that they have difficulty paying fixed costs. They also most often said they have little to no savings - 38 percent of people with a disposable income below 2,000 euros currency have no savings, compared to about 20 percent of all Netherlands residents.

That younger people and people with lower incomes struggle most with financial woes does not surprise the National Institute for Budget Information (Nibud). “If you have little money, everything that comes your way unexpectedly in bills causes worry and stress,” Karin Radstaak of Nibud said to AD. “If you paid a relatively fixed amount for your energy bill for years, an outlier like what we experienced last year can be very difficult. Then you don’t know how to deal with that.” The same applies to young people, she said. “They more often have an uncertain income, no permanent contract, and an uncertain living situation.”