Where in 2015 there were 33,100 people with a study debt of at least 50,000 euros, that number increased to just over 136,600 in 2024 and in 2025 to 146,200. More than 3000 people even have a ton or more study debt. The average amount also increased, from 12,400 euros in 2015 to 18,200 euros in 2025. Most people (786,200) are less than 10,000 euros in red.
According to Peter Hein van Mulligen, chief economist of Statistics Netherlands, there is no conclusive explanation for that on average higher study debt. He does suspect that the increased interest on the study debt has not helped. “If you pay too little and the interest rates rise, it can make you blame, even if you no longer study.”
Furthermore, it may be that the current former students have studied on average a little longer than previous former students who started under the loan system, and thus borrowed longer, he says. “And finally, prices have also risen in recent years, as a result of which the expenditure of students went up and thereby possibly also the amount they borrowed.”
Fewer people with study debt
The number of people with a study debt last year has fallen across the board. That number decreased from 1.62 million in 2024 to 1.59 million in 2025. According to Statistics Netherlands, this is due to the introduction of the Basic Fair since 2023/2024.
Study debt after university trump: ‘Great leap after the introduction of loan system’
For example, HBO and university students living at home received 110.30 euros per month in that academic year, provided they completed their diploma within ten years. For students living away, that amount even amounted to 466.69 euros due to a temporary ‘inflation correction’.
Previous and this academic year that increase has disappeared again. In 2025/2026, students living at home in HBO and at the university will be eligible for 125.99 euros and living for 314 euros. MBO currently concerns amounts of 103.78 and 338.68 euros.
As a result, fewer current students have to borrow. The number of former students with a study debt continues to rise, because people who have just graduated still fell under the old loan system. They are also called the ‘breakdown generation’.
In the meantime, the total benefit on scholarships is increasing. Where that amount in 2023 just exceeded 1.5 billion euros, it is now 2.7 billion.