Total student debt reaches €28 billion, falling for the first time

At the beginning of 2026, current and former students together had €28 billion in student debt. That is €0.8 billion less than a year earlier. For the first time, total student debt has fallen.

This is because the basic student grant was reintroduced in the 2023–24 academic year. As a result, fewer students are applying for loans. This is according to Statistics Netherlands (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, CBS).

In 2026, 1.5 million people had student debt. That number has also been falling for three consecutive years. So, more and more people no longer have student debt.

The number of students with debt in particular is declining. There are now 400,000 students with debt. There were 210,000 more in 2023, when the basic student grant was reintroduced.

Nevertheless, some people still have substantial debts. In 2026, 145,000 people had debts of €50,000 or more. Six years ago, that figure was half as high.

Around 5,000 people even have to repay €100,000 or more. Almost half of those with student debt owe less than €10,000. A small proportion, 4 percent, owe less than €500.

The average student debt is increasing, however. In 2026, the average debt was €18,300. This amount has increased every year since 2015, when the student loan system was introduced.

Former students often have higher debts than students who are still studying. Among newer students, debt is actually declining. Their average debt is now €15,600, which is €1,000 less than last year.

Former students have an average debt of €19,200.