Singles are the biggest group in the lowest Dutch income decile

Statistics Netherlands (CBS) has published provisional 2025 figures on who sits where in the income distribution. It splits private households into ten equal income groups, from lowest to highest.

Household type changes sharply along the scale. In the lowest group, people living alone are the largest category. In the highest group, couples with children and couples without children are the two largest, and single-person households are far smaller.

Housing follows the same pattern. Owner-occupiers are the largest category in the highest group. In the lowest group, tenants without rent benefit (huurtoeslag) are the largest, ahead of tenants who receive it. In the second-lowest group, tenants with rent benefit are the largest.

The main source of income also differs. In the third-lowest group, pensions are the most common main source, while in the highest group wages and salaries lead. The highest group has the biggest share of households living mainly on self-employment income.

Main earners aged 65 or older are most common in the third-lowest group. In the highest group, those aged 45 to 65 are the largest.