Poverty and living standards in Zaanstad, Netherlands: official figures
Homes in the municipality of Zaanstad had an average WOZ value of €420,000 in 2026, 16th highest among the 31 large municipalities covered here, up 64% from €256,000 in 2020.
How many people are on benefits in Zaanstad?
People below state pension age receiving a benefit (unemployment, social assistance or disability) numbered 13.4 per 100 residents aged 15 to 64 in Zaanstad in 2026, above the national figure of 12.4; that is 15th highest among the 31 large municipalities covered here.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many people receive bijstand in Zaanstad?
Social assistance (bijstand), the minimum-income benefit, went to 3.5 people under pension age per 100 residents aged 15 to 64 in Zaanstad in 2026, 8th lowest among the 31 large municipalities covered here and below the national figure of 3.5, down from 3.9 in 2020.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many people get unemployment benefit in Zaanstad?
Unemployment insurance (WW) was paid to 1.60 people per 100 residents aged 15 to 64 in Zaanstad in 2026, against 1.60 nationally.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many people are on disability benefit in Zaanstad?
Zaanstad had 8.3 disability benefit recipients per 100 working-age residents in 2026, above the national figure of 7.1.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many people live alone in Zaanstad?
People living alone made up 37.9% of households in Zaanstad in 2025, below the national figure of 40.1%.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many new homes are built in Zaanstad?
Zaanstad added 8.4 new-build homes for every 1,000 existing homes in 2025, 15th highest among the 31 large municipalities covered here (Netherlands: 8.4).
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyWhat is the crime rate in Zaanstad?
Police in Zaanstad recorded 7,680 crimes in 2025 (provisional figures), or 47.2 per 1,000 residents, above the national figure of 45.2; that is 9th lowest among the 31 large municipalities covered here.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyIs crime going up in Zaanstad?
Recorded crime in Zaanstad was down 13% in 2025 compared with 2015, when police registered 8,845 offences.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow much violent crime is there in Zaanstad?
Violent and sexual offences, including assault, threats and sexual crimes, ran at 5.2 per 1,000 residents in Zaanstad in 2025, 11th lowest among the 31 large municipalities covered here (Netherlands: 4.6).
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow common is burglary in Zaanstad?
Theft and burglary without violence accounted for 19.9 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents of Zaanstad in 2025.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many people live alone in Zaanstad?
38% of the 73,077 households in Zaanstad were people living alone in 2024, and 5.8% were lone parents with children under 18.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow Zaanstad compares with other cities in the Netherlands
Average WOZ (tax) value of homes (€) (2026)
Zaanstad ranks 16 of 31, highest first. Heerlen-Kerkrade is shown with figures for the municipality of Heerlen.
| Rank | City | Average WOZ (tax) value of homes (€) |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Almere | €429,000 |
| 14 | Nijmegen | €426,000 |
| 15 | Zoetermeer | €424,000 |
| 16 | Zaanstad | €420,000 |
| 17 | Zwolle | €420,000 |
| 18 | Alkmaar | €419,000 |
| 19 | s-Gravenhage | €409,000 |
Benefit recipients below pension age per 100 residents aged 15 to 64 (2026)
Zaanstad ranks 15 of 31, highest first. Heerlen-Kerkrade is shown with figures for the municipality of Heerlen.
| Rank | City | Benefit recipients below pension age per 100 residents aged 15 to 64 |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Alkmaar | 13.8 |
| 13 | Apeldoorn | 13.7 |
| 14 | Tilburg | 13.5 |
| 15 | Zaanstad | 13.4 |
| 16 | Zwolle | 13.4 |
| 17 | Nissewaard | 12.7 |
| 18 | Amsterdam | 12.7 |
Social assistance (bijstand) recipients below pension age per 100 residents aged 15 to 64 (2026)
Zaanstad ranks 24 of 31, highest first. Heerlen-Kerkrade is shown with figures for the municipality of Heerlen.
| Rank | City | Social assistance (bijstand) recipients below pension age per 100 residents aged 15 to 64 |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Alkmaar | 3.5 |
| 22 | Almere | 3.5 |
| 23 | Apeldoorn | 3.5 |
| 24 | Zaanstad | 3.5 |
| 25 | Leiden | 3.4 |
| 26 | Amersfoort | 3.2 |
| 27 | s-Hertogenbosch | 3.2 |
Share of homes owned by housing associations (%) (2025)
Zaanstad ranks 7 of 31, highest first. Heerlen-Kerkrade is shown with figures for the municipality of Heerlen.
| Rank | City | Share of homes owned by housing associations (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Eindhoven | 36% |
| 5 | Heerlen-Kerkrade | 36% |
| 6 | Enschede | 36% |
| 7 | Zaanstad | 36% |
| 8 | Nissewaard | 36% |
| 9 | Arnhem | 34% |
| 10 | Zoetermeer | 34% |
New-build homes per 1,000 existing homes (2025)
Zaanstad ranks 15 of 31, highest first. Heerlen-Kerkrade is shown with figures for the municipality of Heerlen.
| Rank | City | New-build homes per 1,000 existing homes |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Nijmegen | 9.9 |
| 13 | Zwolle | 9.9 |
| 14 | Nissewaard | 8.5 |
| 15 | Zaanstad | 8.4 |
| 16 | Groningen | 7.7 |
| 17 | Rotterdam | 6.9 |
| 18 | Leiden | 6.8 |
Police-recorded crimes per 1,000 residents (provisional) (2025)
Zaanstad ranks 23 of 31, highest first. Heerlen-Kerkrade is shown with figures for the municipality of Heerlen.
| Rank | City | Police-recorded crimes per 1,000 residents (provisional) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Leeuwarden | 54.9 |
| 21 | Alkmaar | 52.3 |
| 22 | Sittard-Geleen | 51.7 |
| 23 | Zaanstad | 47.2 |
| 24 | Apeldoorn | 45.4 |
| 25 | Amersfoort | 45.1 |
| 26 | Deventer | 44.8 |
Recorded violent and sexual crimes per 1,000 residents (provisional) (2025)
Zaanstad ranks 21 of 31, highest first. Heerlen-Kerkrade is shown with figures for the municipality of Heerlen.
| Rank | City | Recorded violent and sexual crimes per 1,000 residents (provisional) |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Utrecht | 5.3 |
| 19 | Alkmaar | 5.3 |
| 20 | Leiden | 5.2 |
| 21 | Zaanstad | 5.2 |
| 22 | Haarlem | 4.9 |
| 23 | Enschede | 4.9 |
| 24 | Zoetermeer | 4.9 |
Share of recorded crimes solved (%) (provisional) (2025)
Zaanstad ranks 21 of 31, highest first. Heerlen-Kerkrade is shown with figures for the municipality of Heerlen.
| Rank | City | Share of recorded crimes solved (%) (provisional) |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Apeldoorn | 21.9% |
| 19 | s-Hertogenbosch | 21.9% |
| 20 | Eindhoven | 21.3% |
| 21 | Zaanstad | 21.2% |
| 22 | Amsterdam | 21.0% |
| 23 | Deventer | 20.8% |
| 24 | Tilburg | 19.5% |
More on Zaanstad: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · all cities in the Netherlands
Sources
- Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS): Regionale kerncijfers Nederland (table 70072ned): provinces, COROP areas and selected municipalities, 2014-2026, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d2b63aac3a26…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_clivcon: Urban Audit: living conditions (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 bc58ab68d418…)
- Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS): Geregistreerde misdrijven en verdachten; soort misdrijf, regio (table 83648NED): police-recorded crime by province and municipality, 2015-2025, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 301a92d5d72f…)
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