Poverty and living standards in Zoetermeer, Netherlands: official figures
Homes in the municipality of Zoetermeer had an average WOZ value of €424,000 in 2026, 15th highest among the 31 large municipalities covered here, up 75% from €242,000 in 2020.
How many people are on benefits in Zoetermeer?
People below state pension age receiving a benefit (unemployment, social assistance or disability) numbered 12.3 per 100 residents aged 15 to 64 in Zoetermeer in 2026, below the national figure of 12.4; that is 11th lowest among the 31 large municipalities covered here.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many people receive bijstand in Zoetermeer?
Social assistance (bijstand), the minimum-income benefit, went to 3.7 people under pension age per 100 residents aged 15 to 64 in Zoetermeer in 2026, 12th lowest among the 31 large municipalities covered here and above 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 Zoetermeer?
Unemployment insurance (WW) was paid to 1.55 people per 100 residents aged 15 to 64 in Zoetermeer in 2026, against 1.60 nationally.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many people are on disability benefit in Zoetermeer?
Zoetermeer had 7.1 disability benefit recipients per 100 working-age residents in 2026, below the national figure of 7.1.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many people live alone in Zoetermeer?
People living alone made up 35.9% of households in Zoetermeer in 2025, below the national figure of 40.1%.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many new homes are built in Zoetermeer?
Zoetermeer added 5.0 new-build homes for every 1,000 existing homes in 2025, 8th lowest among the 31 large municipalities covered here (Netherlands: 8.4).
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyWhat is the crime rate in Zoetermeer?
Police in Zoetermeer recorded 5,685 crimes in 2025 (provisional figures), or 43.8 per 1,000 residents, below the national figure of 45.2; that is 5th lowest among the 31 large municipalities covered here.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyIs crime going up in Zoetermeer?
Recorded crime in Zoetermeer was down 15% in 2025 compared with 2015, when police registered 6,710 offences.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow much violent crime is there in Zoetermeer?
Violent and sexual offences, including assault, threats and sexual crimes, ran at 4.9 per 1,000 residents in Zoetermeer in 2025, 8th lowest among the 31 large municipalities covered here (Netherlands: 4.6).
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow common is burglary in Zoetermeer?
Theft and burglary without violence accounted for 14.6 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents of Zoetermeer in 2025.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many people live alone in Zoetermeer?
36% of the 57,776 households in Zoetermeer were people living alone in 2024, and 6.0% were lone parents with children under 18.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow Zoetermeer compares with other cities in the Netherlands
Average WOZ (tax) value of homes (€) (2026)
Zoetermeer ranks 15 of 31, highest first. Heerlen-Kerkrade is shown with figures for the municipality of Heerlen.
| Rank | City | Average WOZ (tax) value of homes (€) |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Eindhoven | €434,000 |
| 13 | Almere | €429,000 |
| 14 | Nijmegen | €426,000 |
| 15 | Zoetermeer | €424,000 |
| 16 | Zaanstad | €420,000 |
| 17 | Zwolle | €420,000 |
| 18 | Alkmaar | €419,000 |
Benefit recipients below pension age per 100 residents aged 15 to 64 (2026)
Zoetermeer ranks 21 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Amsterdam | 12.7 |
| 19 | s-Hertogenbosch | 12.7 |
| 20 | Groningen | 12.4 |
| 21 | Zoetermeer | 12.3 |
| 22 | Almere | 12.1 |
| 23 | Eindhoven | 11.9 |
| 24 | Amersfoort | 11.7 |
Social assistance (bijstand) recipients below pension age per 100 residents aged 15 to 64 (2026)
Zoetermeer ranks 20 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Utrecht | 4.0 |
| 18 | Eindhoven | 3.9 |
| 19 | Breda | 3.8 |
| 20 | Zoetermeer | 3.7 |
| 21 | Alkmaar | 3.5 |
| 22 | Almere | 3.5 |
| 23 | Apeldoorn | 3.5 |
Share of homes owned by housing associations (%) (2025)
Zoetermeer ranks 10 of 31, highest first. Heerlen-Kerkrade is shown with figures for the municipality of Heerlen.
| Rank | City | Share of homes owned by housing associations (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Zaanstad | 36% |
| 8 | Nissewaard | 36% |
| 9 | Arnhem | 34% |
| 10 | Zoetermeer | 34% |
| 11 | Maastricht | 34% |
| 12 | s-Hertogenbosch | 33% |
| 13 | Zwolle | 33% |
New-build homes per 1,000 existing homes (2025)
Zoetermeer ranks 24 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Venlo | 5.7 |
| 22 | Alkmaar | 5.4 |
| 23 | Maastricht | 5.4 |
| 24 | Zoetermeer | 5.0 |
| 25 | Amersfoort | 4.6 |
| 26 | Leeuwarden | 3.5 |
| 27 | Arnhem | 3.4 |
Police-recorded crimes per 1,000 residents (provisional) (2025)
Zoetermeer ranks 27 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | Apeldoorn | 45.4 |
| 25 | Amersfoort | 45.1 |
| 26 | Deventer | 44.8 |
| 27 | Zoetermeer | 43.8 |
| 28 | Nissewaard | 43.4 |
| 29 | Almere | 41.0 |
| 30 | Ede | 36.6 |
Recorded violent and sexual crimes per 1,000 residents (provisional) (2025)
Zoetermeer ranks 24 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Zaanstad | 5.2 |
| 22 | Haarlem | 4.9 |
| 23 | Enschede | 4.9 |
| 24 | Zoetermeer | 4.9 |
| 25 | Almere | 4.3 |
| 26 | Haarlemmermeer | 4.3 |
| 27 | Alphen aan den | 4.1 |
Share of recorded crimes solved (%) (provisional) (2025)
Zoetermeer ranks 1 of 31, highest first. Heerlen-Kerkrade is shown with figures for the municipality of Heerlen.
| Rank | City | Share of recorded crimes solved (%) (provisional) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoetermeer | 30.5% |
| 2 | Heerlen-Kerkrade | 29.7% |
| 3 | Nissewaard | 28.7% |
| 4 | Zwolle | 27.0% |
| 5 | Arnhem | 26.0% |
| 6 | Leeuwarden | 25.8% |
| 7 | s-Gravenhage | 25.4% |
More on Zoetermeer: 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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