Bloemendaal and Wassenaar richest Dutch municipalities

Bloemendaal and Wassenaar are the two municipalities in the Netherlands with the highest per capita income. The richest municipalities are mainly located in the province North Holland, the poorest in east Groningen and south Limburg.

Income in Bloemendaal and Wassenaar 65 percent above average

In 2008 the average income per capita in the Netherlands amounted to 24.6 thousand euro. In Bloemendaal and Wassenaar the income per inhabitant is 65 percent higher than this national average. Blaricum (+64 percent), too, and Rozendaal (+57 percent) in the province of Gelderland  were much richer than average.
 
The lowest per capita income in 2008 was in Pekela: 19 percent lower than average. Stadskanaal came second, followed by Kerkrade. In both these municipalities the income per inhabitant was 15 percent lower than average.

Municipalities by highest and lowest levels of income, 2008

Six of the ten richest municipalities located in North Holland

Six of the ten richest municipalities were located in the province of North Holland. The high incomes are mainly concentrated in the Gooi en Vechtstreek region . Four of the ten richest municipalities were in this region: in addition to Blaricum these are Naarden, Laren and Bussum.

Many poor municipalities in east Groningen and south Limburg

The municipalities with the lowest average incomes are located mainly in east Groningen and south Limburg. Five of the ten poorest municipalities are in east Groningen, and four in south Limburg.

Within south Limburg, the poorest municipalities are concentrated in Parkstad, a former coal-mining region. Within Parkstad, Heerlen and Brunssum are among the ten poorest municipalities in addition to Kerkrade.

Deviation from average income level per municipality, 2008

Utrecht richest of the four big cities

Utrecht was the richest of the four large cities in the Netherlands. The income per inhabitant was 3 percent higher here than the national average. Rotterdam had the lowest per capita income of the four biggest cities: 10 percent lower than average.

Four largest cities by income level, 2008

Hans Kasperski and Peter Meuwissen