Economy and income

Strong economic growth

The economy of the Utrecht urban region has been growing faster than the national and provincial averages for years. Both the number of businesses and the number of jobs are increasing strongly. However, the investment climate is under pressure due to persistent labour shortages, grid congestion and a shortage of suitable business premises.

• New office construction has come to a near standstill, partly because of grid congestion.
• Business confidence in the province of Utrecht is somewhat positive again for the first time since 2020.
• The number of bankruptcies in the Netherlands and in the province of Utrecht has returned to pre pandemic levels, following the end of government support for businesses.
• Unemployment (4.4%) is slightly above the national average, but still lower than in other major cities. Young people under 24 are particularly likely to be unemployed.

More leisure tourism, fewer business stays

• In 2025, Utrecht had 6% fewer hotel guests than in 2024. The total number of hotel stays remained almost the same, while leisure stays, international guests, and overnight stays increased.
• There was also a slight rise in the average length of stay among international visitors.
• Hotel occupancy remains stable at 74%.
• The number of hotel overnight stays in Utrecht has nearly doubled since 2015, driven primarily by the strong growth in leisure tourism. The share of business stays has declined in recent years.

More households on welfare benefits

• The number of households on welfare benefits is increasing (+3.6 %) despite labour market shortages. This increase is evident from the end of 2022.
• The share of low income households has declined slightly in recent years, while the share of high income households has increased slightly. Compared with Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, Utrecht has many high income households and fewer low income households.
• The share of households with problematic debt fell from 7.6% to 7.3%. Nationally, this percentage is slightly higher than in Utrecht; it is considerably higher in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague.
• Over the past ten years, the share of households with an income up to the Utrecht poverty threshold (125% of the statutory social minimum) has decreased slightly, from 16.6% to 13.3%. However, the poorest group (income up to 101% of the statutory social minimum for an extended period) has increased from 3.2% to 3.9% over the same period.