Income in the big cities

Rotterdam had the lowest household income of the four largest cities in the Netherlands in 2000, and also the largest share of households with a long-term low income: 12 percent. The districts with most long-term low incomes, however, were in The Hague. In nearly all districts in Amsterdam the percentage of households that depended on a benefit for income was above the national average.

Average income lowest in Rotterdam

Rotterdam had the lowest standardised household income: 10 percent below the national average of 18 thousand euro. Rotterdam also had the largest share of long-term low incomes. In the districts Delfshaven and Feijenoord the share of households with a long-term low income was three times as high as for the whole country. In Hoek van Holland, on the other hand, the proportion was only 4 percent.

Large differences in income between districts in The Hague

Within The Hague there are large differences in income between districts. In Schilderswijk the standardised income was 28 percent below the national average. This district also had the largest percentage of households with a benefit: 75 percent. This is in sharp contrast with the district Benoordenhout, where 8 percent of households receive a benefit and the standardised income was 63 percent higher than average.

Amsterdam: city of benefits

The income of households in Amsterdam was 3 percent lower than the national average. Nearly all districts in Amsterdam had a relatively high percentage of households depending on a benefit. The only exception was Zuideramstel, although here, too, the percentage of households with a long-term low income was just above the average, at 7 percent. The district Bos en Lommer had the lowest income, at 18 percent below the national average.

Utrecht: fairly average

Utrecht, the fourth largest city in the Netherlands was representative for the Netherlands as a whole. The standardised income was just above the national average in 2000. Within the city, the income differences between the districts are smaller than in the other large cities.

Hans Kasperski