Number of millionaires in NL skyrockets as house prices rise

Over 81,000 households achieved millionaire status last year without needing to do anything to earn it – the rise in house prices has quietly boosted their wealth.

The figures come from national statistics bureau CBS, which counted 547,000 households with net assets of at least €1 million at the start of 2025 – 6.6% of all Dutch households.

A year earlier the number stood at 466,000. In 2011 it was 170,000. The main driver is the rise in asset valuations – namely house prices.

Two-thirds of millionaire households have between €1 million and €2 million, and 3% have over €10 million.

Those who got rich this way tend to be older – the average millionaire is 61, and fewer than 3% are under 35. For younger people, entrepreneurship and ownership in company shares is the more common way to millionaire status. CBS does not say what role inheritance plays here.

Where you live, of course, makes a big difference. In Bloemendaal and Laren, close to two in five households are now millionaires. In Kerkrade, Zuid-Limburg, it’s closer to 1 in 100. Groningen, Flevoland and Friesland are all below 5%.