Dutch business growth hits historic low; New business registrations fall 10%
Growth in the number of business establishments in the Netherlands slowed to a historic low in 2025, with fewer startups and more closures reported across all sectors. The number of new businesses fell 10 percent compared with 2024, while the number of closures rose 18 percent.
On January 1, 2026, 2,599,668 businesses were registered in the Chamber of Commerce (KVK) Handelsregister, an increase of just 1 percent from 2,579,735 a year earlier, marking the slowest growth in years.
Among self-employed entrepreneurs, or zzp’ers, startups dropped 13 percent, and stoppages increased 19 percent. Despite the rise in closures, bankruptcies fell 21 percent compared with the previous year, suggesting that some entrepreneurs are choosing to close operations before facing financial distress.
“The Dutch business landscape is stagnating,” said Joris Knoben, professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Tilburg University. “That is not particularly positive. The dynamism and innovation are disappearing, and you see this across the board: in the number of startups, female entrepreneurs, older entrepreneurs; there is little to no development. This resembles a slow-moving economy, and that is not what you want. The question is: are there enough newcomers who can grow into the large companies of tomorrow?”
Knoben noted that while the decline in startups is largely driven by self-employed entrepreneurs, it is visible across all types of business structures. He cited economic uncertainty, unclear rules on bogus self-employment, European developments, and international trade tensions as contributing factors.
The expected wave of bankruptcies in 2025 did not occur. “In various sectors, such as professional services, fixed costs are low and entrepreneurs see problems coming earlier. This allows them to stop in time before a bankruptcy becomes imminent,” Knoben said.
The KVK provides support for entrepreneurs considering closure. “Many entrepreneurs do not like to talk about it, but stopping is also entrepreneurship,” said Christiaan Hazelaar, an adviser at the Chamber. “It involves more than just deregistering at KVK. It does not solve tax obligations, debts, or ongoing contracts. Entrepreneurs are often surprised by everything that still needs attention. We think critically along with them, assess what is realistic, the risks, and the routes to close properly.”
