Polish nationals are less likely to claim welfare benefits than the native Dutch,  according to new figures from the national statistics office CBS which were released on Thursday.

However, other groups of immigrants and refugees are much more likely to be on benefits, the figures show.

For example, the CBS says seven out of 10 Somali nationals and six out of 10 Syrians live on welfare (bijstand), compared with just 3% of the Dutch. Afghans, Eritreans and Iranians are also much more likely to be living on welfare.

‘A high percentage do not speak the language sufficiently and a relatively large percentage are low-skilled or without any relevant education,’ the CBS said.

Nevertheless, Dutch nationals account for by far the majority of welfare claims – some 400,000 are currently living on welfare benefits. Refugee claims account for a tiny percentage of the total. There are just 7,210 Somali nationals living on welfare and 5,580 Iraqis.

Poles account for the lowest take-up in the immigrant group studied. Just 2% of the Dutch Polish population was claiming welfare at the end of 2014 – a total of 1,690 people, the CBS said.