Dutch Household Spending Rebounds in March

2026-05-06 04:47 By Joshua Ferrer 1 min. read

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.



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Dutch Household Spending Rebounds in March
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.
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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.
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