Regional differences in prosperity of pensioners

Regional differences in prosperity of pensioners

In 1999 the purchasing power of Dutch pensioners was 7 percent lower than the average purchasing power in the Netherlands. In the northernmost municipalities of the provinces Groningen and Friesland the purchasing power of households who received a pension was considerably lower than the national average. In the central regions and around the city of Eindhoven it was higher than average.

Pensioners have seven percent less to spend

The average purchasing power of households in the Netherlands was just over 17 thousand euro 1999. For pensioner households it was nearly 16 thousand euro, 7 percent less.

Lowest purchasing power in northern municipalities

The purchasing power of pensioners living in the north of the country is considerably lower than the national average. In 1999 the purchasing power parity in the province of Groningen was nearly 16 percent lower. In Friesland it was 14 percent lower. In Rotterdam, too, pensioners’ purchasing power was below average.

High income in the central areas

Municipalities where the purchasing power of pensioner households is higher than national are mainly found in a strip across the centre of the country, from the coast via the border areas of North and South Holland, a large part of the province of Utrecht and the Veluwe region. In addition pensioners who live in the area around the city of Eindhoven also have more money to spend.

Where do pensioners live?

One in five Dutch households, a total of nearly 1.4 million households counts a pensioner among its members. Relatively many of these pensioner households live in municipalities in the northern and eastern provinces. In Zeeland and Limburg, too, the proportion of pensioner households is above the national average. In Flevoland on the other hand, there are relatively few households with pensioners.

"Pensioner" municipalities

In a number of municipalities on the coast, in eastern Utrecht and in the border areas of Overijssel and Gelderland more than 30 percent of households receive a pension. In 1999 Doorn was the municipality with the highest pensioner rate (36 percent), followed by Roozendaal, Gorssel and Vorden (33 percent).

Petra Ament