Nearly nine in ten over-65 households have extra incomes in addition to AOW

Altogether, 1.8 million households received old age state pensions (AOW) in 2010. Nearly nine in ten households received supplementary pensions and approximately as many generated revenues from private property. Only 5 thousand over-65 households had no additional income sources and 170 thousand had extra income sources not exceeding 250 euro a month.

Large differences within the group of elderly citizens

The gross AOW pension averaged 1,070 euro a month for single over-65s and 1,520 euro a month for over-65 couples.

Supplementary incomes differ widely. For example, 170 thousand over-65 households received no more than 250 euro in supplementary income alongside their AOW pension. On the other hand, more than half of over-65 households had supplementary incomes of 1,000 euro or more a month.

Number of over-65 households by supplementary incomes in addition to AOW, 2010*

Few extra revenues for one in six single women

Single women most often had low supplementary incomes. The proportion of single women who had supplementary incomes ranging from 0 to 250 euro a month has dropped significantly from 25 percent in 2000 to just over 17 percent in 2010. The number of over-65 households with supplementary incomes below 250 euro a month declined from 214 thousand in 2000 to 170 thousand in 2010.

Over-65 households with supplementary incomes between 0 and 2250 euro a month, price level 2010

Various types of supplementary incomes

Nearly 400 thousand households received a rent allowance alongside their AOW pension. For 34 thousand households, this was the only source of income apart from AOW. Nearly nine in ten households with at least one household member over the age of 65 had other extra revenues in addition to AOW and rent allowances, e.g. supplementary pensions or income from private property.

Supplementary pension main source of income besides AOW

On average, AOW accounts for nearly 40 percent of the gross incomes of over-65 households. Supplementary pensions and income from private property contribute 35 and 6 percent respectively to the total gross income. 

Gross income components over-65 households, 2010*

Wim Bos