The Dutch economy is continuing to improve, with falling unemployment, but remains vulnerable to international events, according to the latest macro-economic forecasts from the government think-tank CPB.

The economy will grow by some 1.8% a year up to 2021 by which time the budget deficit will have become a surplus, the CPB said in its report on the country’s economic prospects.

However, ‘continuing international uncertainties’ will remain a question mark for both this and the next government, the CPB said. These include the threat of Britain withdrawing from the EU, uncertainty in China and the continuing debt crisis, the CPB said.

In addition, families are unlikely to have more disposable income in the coming period, the CPB said.

The think-tank’s multi-year forecasts are traditionally used by political parties to draw up their manifestos for the 2017 general election. The Netherlands is set to go to the polls in a year’s time.

Political parties also usually submit their manifestos to the CPB for it to check the likely impact of policies on economic developments. However, a number of parties have already said they are unlikely to take this step any more because they don’t agree with the economic models the organisation uses.