Wmo support use in the Netherlands rises 23% since 2017, CBS says

Nearly 1.3 million people in the Netherlands used a tailored support service under the Social Support Act (Wmo) in 2025, 23 per cent more than in 2017, according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS). The largest increase was among people aged 75 to 85, whose numbers rose by 33 per cent.

The figures come from CBS’s national Wmo monitor, based on data supplied by municipalities. Tailored support is assessed by a person’s municipality and can include household help, a mobility scooter or adaptations to the home. The 2025 figures are provisional.

CBS links the rising use of support to an ageing population and to older people living independently at home for longer. The number of people receiving household help increased from about 394,000 in 2017 to 566,000 in 2025.

Municipal spending on tailored Wmo support reached more than €6.3 billion in 2025, 38 per cent above 2017. CBS says the increase reflects both more clients and higher average costs per client, which rose by 12 per cent. It also points to the 2019 introduction of a fixed, lower personal contribution, which reduced the financial threshold for support and contributed to increased use.

The number of people using a personal budget to pay for Wmo support fell from about 58,000 in 2017 to 31,000 in 2024, nearly halving. The 2024 figure is also provisional.