Half of adults worry about financial security, with 18% holding less than €500
Despite growing savings among adults in the Netherlands, nearly half remain concerned about their financial security, according to the 2025 ING Savings Survey. Roughly 18 percent of have less than 500 euros in their bank account, while around 24 percent have access to between 500 and 3,000 euros in cash, if needed. At the same time, about 34 percent of adults in the Netherlands have access to at least 10,000 euros in savings, according to the ING study.
That is actually an increase of over 10 percent compared to two years ago. But while there has been some improvement, current savings levels still fall short of recommended emergency funds for households in the Netherlands. The national institute for domestic budgeting issues, Nibud, advises that a single adult maintain 9,000 euros in savings and a family of two adults and two children hold 12,400 euros as a buffer.
The data provided by ING suggests that a wide majority of households fall short of Nibud's recommendations. Aside from the 18 percent who are persistently vulnerable from a financial standpoint, and the fourth of the population with 500 to 3,000 euros in savings, about 24 percent have access to between 3,000 euros and 10,000 euros in an emergency.
Half of all respondents said they worry about the size of their financial buffer, citing concerns about unexpected expenses, future costs, and economic uncertainty. About a third are also concerned about having the resources to handle healthcare costs.
Since last year, a growing group also fears job and income losses. About 18 percent identified that as a concern, compared to 14 percent last year. About 14 percent now fear rising debt levels, 13 percent are worried about paying insurance premiums, and 11 percent fear a day when they cannot pay their rent.
And while Nibud recommends saving 10 percent of net monthly income, ING said fewer than half of adults save more than 200 euros per month. About 28 percent manage to tuck away between 200 and 500 euros monthly, and 19 percent save more than that amount.
Younger adults in particular report that saving today is harder than it was for their parents, citing the impulse purchases and the ease of spending. Temporary account locks and goal-based savings can help households resist spending impulses and maintain financial security, ING said. Additionally, parents often lead by example, teaching their children to make a habit of saving. About 75 percent of respondents try to pass this knowledge on to their kids, the bank said.
The bank sees room for improvement, with less than half of the population able to pad their savings accounts. “The many temptations to spend money and the ease of doing so make saving for yourself extra important," said Japke Kaastra, Head of Financial Health at ING Netherlands. "So: ‘Pay yourself first,’ before your money disappears on things you may not really need.”
The survey also showed a rise in investing, with one-third of adults now participating in financial markets, up from 22 percent in 2023. Despite this increase, ING notes that a significant portion of the population still relies on manual saving methods, and many have not yet adopted automated savings tools that could make building a financial buffer easier.
