More than a quarter of the Dutch, 28 percent, are not going on holiday this year, according to the annual survey into the spending of holiday pay by Dutch consumer organisation Nibud. Last year it was exactly a quarter of the Dutch population.

The biggest reason for people not to go on holiday is the cost. 64 percent of the respondents say that going on a holiday is simply too expensive. Last year, 54 percent of people did not go on vacation for this reason.

Compared to last year, Dutch people are increasingly using holiday pay to pay off debts and payment arrears. Four years ago, 12 percent of people spent the vacation money on it. Now that is 18 percent.

People with varying income, such as temporary workers, on-call workers, entrepreneurs and self-employed people, go on holiday less often compared to people in paid employment. Respondents with a permanent contract often book several vacations per year and are less worried about the costs that vacations entail.

Of the people who go on holiday, one half of the respondents expect to spend more than 2,000 euros on a holiday and the other half less. Last year the same limit was 1,500 euros.