In 2024, Dutch government spending on health and social care – including support for refugees and childcare – rose by 8.9% to €155 billion, the national statistics office, the CBS, said on Wednesday.

Total spending on care services grew much faster than the economy and now accounts for nearly 14% of GDP. Taken together, all forms of care cost an average of €8,610 per person last year – an increase of €654 compared with 2023, the CBS figures show.

The bill for youth care, emergency housing and other social care rose the most, from €23.6 billion in 2023 to €27.1 billion last year – an increase of just under 15%. This was partly due to higher costs for processing asylum applications and increased spending on youth care and childcare, the CBS said.

Care for people with mental health issues cost 10% more, while spending on nursing care rose by 9.6%.