Pay for Dutch municipal council members rises nearly 21% since 2022

Municipal council members across the Netherlands have seen their compensation increase sharply since the last local elections in 2022, with payments rising by nearly 21 percent over four years, according to an analysis by ANP based on annual rates. The increase is significantly larger than the growth recorded in the previous 2018–2022 period.

Council members receive a fixed monthly allowance for their work, with the amount determined by the population size of the municipality they serve. In municipalities with fewer than 40,000 residents, council members receive the lowest compensation: 1,305.79 euros gross per month.

At the other end of the scale, council members in the country’s largest cities — Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht — receive the maximum monthly payment of 3,200 euros. These cities each have more than 375,000 residents.

The allowances are automatically adjusted every year based on salary developments within the national government. As a result, the payments typically rise slightly faster than inflation. In recent years the increases have been larger than before: since 2024, the compensation has risen by more than 5 percent annually.

Population growth can also push municipalities into a higher compensation category. In Utrecht, the population has grown to more than 375,000 residents, entitling council members this year to the highest payment level. Their monthly compensation is now more than 1,000 euros higher than it was in 2022.

Municipal mergers can have a similar effect. When municipalities combine, the newly formed municipality may move into a higher population bracket. Such a change is expected next year when Hilversum and Wijdemeren undergo a municipal reorganization.

Abdullah Uysal, chair of the Dutch Association of Council Members, said the rising payments reflect increasing demands on the role.

“It is logical that the compensation has increased in recent years, because the office has also become heavier and more complex,” Uysal said. “Council members have gained more responsibilities due to decentralizations and therefore experience a high workload. Social pressure on the position has also increased.”

Uysal added that financial compensation alone is not enough to support local politicians. “In addition to the compensation, good working conditions are at least as important,” he said. “To keep council membership attractive for people from different backgrounds, these conditions must be well organized.”