According to the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) 18 per cent of Dutch households’ yearly spending goes towards leisure activities. This amounts to around 6.000 euros per year.

Biggest leisure expenses: holidays and nights out

The study, based on data from 2013, looks at how these leisure expenses are broken down by households of varying size and composition.

All households, regardless of makeup, spend more on holidays than any other leisure activity or item. On average, travelling expenses, food and drink at the holiday destination, and souvenirs cost households 2.200 euros annually.

The second-largest category across the board is recreational hotel stays, restaurants and pubs. Households spend an average of 1.300 euros per year on these activities.

Family recreation

When it comes to holidays, the biggest spenders are married couples with at least one adult child. These households spend around 44 per cent of their yearly leisure budget on vacations.

Single-parent families with younger children, on the other hand, take more modest holidays, investing instead in recreational sports and cultural activities. They also spend proportionally more on recreational goods like books and sporting equipment than do married couples with underage children.

Regardless of whether their children are young or grown, single parents spend a higher percentage of their recreational budget than any other household type on games, gardening and pets.

Singles opt for nights out

Singles under 65 spend 27 per cent of their leisure budget - the most of any group - on hotels, restaurants and pubs, and are the biggest spenders on AV and photo equipment.

Meanwhile, singles older than 65 are the most likely of all to favour books and other sporting and recreational goods.