Total Dutch student debt falls for the first time since 2015, but big debts grow
If you studied in the Netherlands and borrowed, the overall drop in student debt hides a rising group with very large debts.
The total student debt of students and former students in the Netherlands has fallen for the first time since the loan system was introduced in 2015. Total debt stands at 28 billion euros, about 800 million euros lower than a year earlier.
The number of people with a high debt has still risen. About 150,000 students and former students now owe 50,000 euros or more. The number of people with this level of debt has doubled over six years.
- €28bn
- Total student debt
- 1.1 million
- Former students with student debt
- 150,000
- Students and former students with debt of €50,000 or more
Why the total is falling
In the 2023/2024 academic year the basic grant in higher education returned. Fewer students have since asked for loans. Peter Hein van Mulligen, chief economist at CBS, the national statistics office, says the decline is likely because the loan system no longer exists and fewer loans are being requested. It is not yet clear whether the basic grant is the only factor.
The number of former students with a debt rose by 6,000 in a year, to 1.1 million. People with high debts are mainly former students who built them up while the loan system applied. Borrowers only have to repay once they earn enough income, not after a set period.
Differing views on the burden
Why did so many students borrow large amounts?
- Ciara van Krevel, economist and macro-economics lecturer, University of Amsterdam
- Many students were forced to borrow after the basic grant was removed. She says the minister told them not to fear borrowing, which led more people to take out loans.
- Landelijke Studentenvakbond (LSVb, the National Student Union)
- Students borrow large amounts for various reasons. Some cannot work alongside their studies because of caregiving responsibilities.
Leenstelsel
The Dutch student financing system changed in 2015, replacing grants (which you did not need to repay) with loans that students must repay after graduation. This shift meant students graduating after 2015 typically carry debt, unlike previous generations who received free money for studying. The change was intended to make higher education funding more sustainable, though it increased financial pressure on students.
CBS (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek)
The CBS (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistieken) is the Dutch government's official statistics agency, responsible for collecting and publishing data on population, economy, employment, education, and other national trends. It is the authoritative source for official figures about the Netherlands and is widely cited by policymakers, researchers, and media. Most major claims about Dutch society are verified against CBS data.