Statistics Netherlands (CBS)

Owner‑occupied homes in the Netherlands were 5 percent more expensive in March than a year earlier, marking a further easing of price growth. Average prices now exceed €494,600, while sales volumes rose sharply compared to last year.

The Netherlands saw a slight dip in unemployment in March, signalling a cautiously improving labour market. While the number of people without work remains elevated compared to recent years, new figures show a gradual rise in employment and fewer benefit claims across most regions.

Dutch industrial output fell by 0.7% in February compared to the previous year, with nearly three-quarters of all sectors seeing a contraction. While the machinery repair industry suffered a sharp 15% decline, other areas like machinery manufacturing saw growth, leaving overall production levels for 2024 relatively flat. Despite this monthly dip in output, business sentiment has shown signs of recovery, as producer confidence became less negative moving into March.

The number of underage drug couriers has risen sharply in recent years, with minors making up over 22% of arrests last year compared to just 1% in 2020. According to Statistics Netherlands, criminal gangs are increasingly targeting vulnerable young people—particularly those under 23 from difficult backgrounds or with existing debts—because they often face lighter legal penalties under newer, stricter smuggling laws. While increased security has seen arrest numbers dip in Rotterdam, many Dutch couriers are now being apprehended in neighbouring Belgian ports like Antwerp instead.

Traffic deaths in the Netherlands rose to 759 in 2025, with cyclists, especially older men, among the most affected. CBS figures show a sharp increase in male fatalities and growing concerns about road safety investment.

CLA wages in the Netherlands rose 4.5% in the first quarter of 2026, CBS reports. Wage growth is slowing, but real wages remain positive for the tenth quarter in a row, with private‑sector employees seeing the strongest increases.

Dutch business investment fell by 2.6 per cent in December 2025, marking a third consecutive monthly decline driven largely by a slump in the aviation and road transport sectors. Despite reduced spending on lorries and vans, growth was recorded in passenger cars, buildings, and defence equipment. Looking ahead, the CBS "investment radar" suggests a less unfavourable climate for early 2026, bolstered by rising industrial capacity and stronger goods exports.