Dutch Personal Spending Falls the Most in Near 2 Years

Household consumption in the Netherlands rose by 0.9% year-on-year in March 2026, rebounding from a 0.5% fall in the previous month. It marked the strongest increase since late November, driven mainly by durable goods, which households purchased 4.7% more than a year earlier (vs -1.1% in February). Spending was particularly strong on cars, electrical appliances, and household goods. Services expenditure, accounting for over half of total household consumption, also increased 0.4% from 0.1% in the prior month, as consumers spent more on transport and communication, medical services, and housing, but less on hospitality, recreation, and culture. In contrast, consumption decreased for food and beverages (-0.5% vs 0.3%) and other goods, such as energy and motor fuels (-1.4% vs -1.4%). Looking ahead, conditions for personal consumption were less favorable in April as consumers grew more pessimistic about their financial outlook and the year-on-year increase in stock prices was smaller.

Household consumption in the Netherlands fell 0.5% yoy in February 2026, deepening from a revised 0.3% decline in the prior month and marking a second straight contraction. The latest reading was also the steepest drop since June 2024, amid persistent cost pressures and a less supportive consumption backdrop. Spending on goods declined further (-1.4% vs -0.3% in January), weighed by weaker demand for durable goods (-1.1% vs -2.0%), such as passenger cars and clothing, as well as a sharp fall in other goods (-3.9% vs 1.9%), including energy and motor fuels. In contrast, spending on food, beverages, and tobacco rose further (0.3% vs 0.1%). Meanwhile, services expenditure, accounting for over half of total household consumption, edged up 0.1%, rebounding from a 0.2% drop in January. Looking ahead, conditions for personal consumption in March were assessed to be more cautious than in February.

Household consumption in the Netherlands stalled year-on-year in January 2026, following a 0.8% rise in the previous month. Spending growth for household goods softened to a fifteen-month low (0.1% vs 0.4% in December), mainly due to weaker purchases of durable goods (-1.4% vs 0.4%), as households primarily bought fewer cars, home furnishings, and clothing. Consumers spent more on food, beverages and tobacco (0.4% vs 2.1%), as well as on other goods such as energy and personal care items (2.1% vs -1.8%). Meanwhile, households purchased the same amount of services compared to last year (0% vs 1.2%), as they spent more on transport and communication but less on recreation and culture. Services account for more than half of total household consumption. Still, the February Consumption Conditions indicator was less unfavorable than in January, reflecting more optimistic employment expectations among industrial firms and stronger year-on-year gains in stock prices.