Students' purchasing power increases, but not enough

Thanks to sharp wage increases and earlier policies, all population groups in the Netherlands will have a little more to spend next year, according to the outgoing cabinet. On average, this represents an increase of 1.3 per cent.

Nibud (the National Institute for Budget Information) maps the purchasing power of different households across the Netherlands. Last year, the institute also started registering the purchasing power of students, as it noticed that the differences between this group and the rest of the Dutch population were substantial. While the average Dutch person saw an improvement in 2025, students had to make a significant concession of no less than 113 euros per month.

Nibud will publish another report this year. ‘We are seeing an improvement in the purchasing power of most households because wages are expected to rise faster than prices,’ says Jasja Bos, a Nibud representative. 

Part-time jobs
Students will see a 1 percent increase in their wallets next year, which is lower than the average. ‘For most students, only a limited part of their income comes from a part-time job or paid internship,’ explains Bos. ‘As a result, students' purchasing power is increasing less. They are dependent on student financing, which is not increasing as rapidly.’

‘This one per cent increase is not enough to allow students to study without financial worries,’ says Sarah Evink, Chair of the National Student Association (ISO). 'Last year, students' purchasing power declined by 6.6 per cent, so this means that the situation has not been rectified yet.’

Helping out
Maaike Krom, chair of the National Student Union (LSVb), agrees: ‘Students are once again seeing the smallest increase of all groups, even though this demographic is already struggling. They spend about half of their income on rent, so this [increase] is really not enough.’

‘Such a calculation assumes that students will borrow more money from the government and their parents, but this only causes students to incur additional debt. Besides, not everyone has parents who can help out.’

LSVb explains on Instagram that the small increase, equivalent to an average of ten euros per month, contrasts sharply with the average rent increase of 50 euros for a student room.

Rent allowance
However, there is one group of students who will see a significant improvement to their purchasing power in 2026: tenants up to the age of 21 living in independent accommodation such as studios. New rules regarding the rent allowance from the Dutch government are responsible for this. Currently, this group can only receive an allowance if they pay up to 477 euros per month on rent, but from 2026 onwards, people paying higher rents will also be eligible. As a result, their purchasing power will increase by 19 per cent. Nibud is unable to say exactly how large this group is.