The operating revenues of the four largest healthcare sectors increased by 8.2 percent to 89.1 billion euros in 2024. The growth was mainly due to higher tariffs. In particular, revenues from care funded by the Long-term Care Act (Wlz) increased by 10.0 percent. Revenues from care paid under the Health Insurance Act (Zvw) increased less strongly (+7.5 percent).
The increase in operating revenues was not equally large across all healthcare sectors. It was highest in mental health care (+9.9 percent) and lowest in hospitals (+6.7 percent).
In 2024, total operating costs increased by 7.3 percent to 86.7 billion euros. The labour costs rose by 9.2 percent, partly due to a significant increase in collective labour agreement wages.
This was offset by a smaller increase in fee costs for medical specialists and other operating costs (+5.1 percent). This increase was smaller than a year earlier (+9.8 percent).
The costs of temporary workers and other hiring – including self-employed without personnel (zzp’ers) – increased by 3.0 percent to 4.8 billion euros. The increase was smaller than a year earlier, when it was 11.5 percent. The share of these costs in the total personnel costs decreased for the first time in years: from 8.8 percent in 2023 to 8.4 percent in 2024. In disability care, the share of costs for temporary workers and other hiring remained the highest at 12.6 percent, while it was lowest in hospitals at 5.0 percent.
Sickness absence in the healthcare sector remained about the same in 2024 at 7.3 percent. This was again above the average in the Netherlands (5.2 percent). Although the number of vacancies in the Netherlands has been declining since 2022, the healthcare sector still had a high level with over 66 thousand open vacancies. The decrease in the share of costs for temporary workers and other hiring in total personnel costs cannot therefore be directly explained by lower sickness absence or fewer vacancies. This share has probably decreased because institutions took into account the enforcement of the Deregulation of Assessment of Employment Relationships Act from 2025, which was introduced to prevent bogus self-employment of zzp’ers.
No ads, no data selling, and completely independent. However, not without costs.
Donate a cup of coffee and help me make the government a bit more transparent. Thank you!
