An initiative of the Dutch Ministry of Finance, Wijzer in geldzaken has conducted research revealing that retired women in the Netherlands receive pension incomes that are on average 40 percent lower than those of retired men. Almost half of the Dutch population is also not aware of this gender pension gap.
Gender pension gap in the Netherlands
The research done by Wijzer in geldzaken is part of the Pension3days awareness campaign taking place on November 12, 13 and 14 that encourages people working in the Netherlands to get an overview and insight into their pension.
According to Lisa Brüggen, the director of the knowledge network for pensions and retirement Netspar, the gender pension gap is larger in the Netherlands compared to most other countries in the EU. Women are more likely to have financial troubles when they reach retirement as they receive hundreds of euros fewer than men from their pensions.
Brüggen listed various reasons for the difference in pension incomes, one being that on average women work fewer hours which means they accrue less pension. Another contributing factor is the gender pay gap which means women earn less from their salaries. “Women are also generally less concerned with their financial future than men and have less knowledge of pensions,” claimed Brüggen. “Finally, they take on more care tasks, which can contribute to a lower pension income.”
Lower pension awareness among Dutch women
In the study, only 37 percent of women indicated that they know how much pension they will receive when they retire compared to 49 percent of men. 44 percent of men were also more likely to say that they are aware of how pensions work in the Netherlands compared to just 28 percent of women.
A survey found that 48 percent of Dutch residents did not know about the 40 percent difference in pensions for men and women, thinking that women get around the same amount or even more. On the other hand, 52 percent of women found the pension gap worrying compared to only 30 percent of men, while both women (74 percent) and men (57 percent) thought it important to close the gap.
Raising awareness about Dutch pensions
Survey participants believed that clearer communication from employers and pension providers could help people understand the consequences of fewer working hours for their pensions.
“Everyone must realise the consequences of the choices they make now for their income later; working less now not only means less salary now, but also less pension later,” said Annette Mosman, chair of pension provider APG. “The responsibility for this lies with the women (and those around them) themselves, but also with the government, pension providers and employers, to properly inform women about the long-term consequences of working part-time, about the other causes of the pension gap and about the possibilities that exist to supplement the pension income.”
The Pension3days campaign is a step in the right direction in growing the population's awareness about the Dutch pension system. On these days, Dutch organisations take part in activities and provide tools so that residents can gain more knowledge about their pensions and how to make changes to optimise them. This is especially important with the new pension system coming in from 2025.
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