Netherlands’ healthcare expenses rose to €155 billion last year

The Netherlands spent approximately 155 billion euros on healthcare, youth care, childcare, and welfare, equating to roughly 8,610 euros per person last year. This represents an increase of nearly 9 percent compared with the previous year.

According to Statistics Netherlands, spending on youth care, childcare, and welfare saw the largest rise, totaling 27.1 billion euros, nearly 15 percent more than the year before. This increase is partly due to higher costs for asylum seeker accommodation. Spending on mental healthcare also grew, by roughly 10 percent.

Expenditures on long-term care, including nursing homes and support for people with disabilities, rose by 11 percent. Most of this funding goes to institutions such as nursing homes, but home care costs, including district nursing, have been rising rapidly.

Under the Health Insurance Act (Zvw), which covers GP and hospital services, spending grew by 7.9 percent, while long-term home care increased by 3.9 percent.

Pharmaceutical spending outside hospitals and nursing homes rose by over 7 percent, marking the steepest increase since 2007. This growth is partly due to a shift toward more expensive medications and general price hikes.

Spending on preventive care increased by just 1 percent, slower than in previous years. This is largely due to a significant drop in COVID-19-related costs, such as testing and vaccinations, compared with 2023.

Overall, healthcare expenditures account for 13.8 percent of the total Dutch economy. In other words, roughly 1 euro out of every 7 is spent on healthcare. These costs are rising faster than the economy as a whole.