In Q4 2025, Dutch buyers became the second most active foreign property purchasers in Spain — 1,632 transactions, 6.77% of all foreign sales — behind only the British. They are the only major nationality growing both quarter-on-quarter (+15.22%) and year-on-year (+10.50%). Costa Blanca remains their #1 destination, with one in six foreign property searchers in Alicante province being Dutch.
The numbers: Dutch are Spain's fastest-growing buyer market
Latest data from Spain's Consejo General del Notariado (Q4 2025) shows a clear shift in international demand:
- 2025 full year: 8,354 Dutch transactions (+12.3% vs 7,447 in 2024)
- Q4 2025 alone: 1,632 transactions, 6.77% of all foreign purchases — 2nd place behind British (7.9%) and ahead of Germans (6.6%)
- Growth: +15.22% QoQ, +10.50% YoY — the only major nationality with both metrics positive
- Long-term: nearly +50% growth between 2023 and 2025
For context: Spain's overall foreign property buyer share dropped from 20.3% to 19.3% in 2025. Dutch demand is a clear outlier — going against the overall trend.
Where Dutch buyers look: Costa Blanca leads
According to Idealista's online demand data, the geographic concentration is striking:
- Province of Alicante (Costa Blanca): 1 in 6 foreign property searchers is Dutch — the largest single foreign group online in the province
- Costa del Sol: Dutch demand for new-build homes is 2x that of Belgian and British buyers
- Catalonia: growing presence, particularly in Barcelona suburbs and the Costa Brava
Within the Costa Blanca, Dutch attention concentrates in:
- Torrevieja and Benidorm — established Dutch and British communities, year-round services, direct flights
- Jávea (Xàbia), Moraira, Dénia — premium Costa Blanca North for retirement and second-home buyers
- Calpe and Altea — sea views and golf course access
Who is the typical Dutch buyer?
The profile is well-defined and stable across recent surveys:
- Age: 45–60 nationally, rising to 50–60 on the Costa Blanca
- Purpose: comfortable retirement and long-term lifestyle investment — not pure speculation
- Trend in 2025–2026: increasing share of permanent moves rather than just second homes — driven partly by Dutch wealth tax (Box 3) discussions and Spain's некоммерческой визы (visado no lucrativo) options
- Typical price range: €2,500–3,000 per m² (mid-market segment)
What is driving Dutch demand
1. Climate and outdoor lifestyle
The Costa Blanca offers more than 320 sunny days a year and a Mediterranean climate that contrasts strongly with Dutch winters. Outdoor dining, golf, sailing, and year-round walking consistently rank as the #1 driver in buyer surveys.
2. Direct connectivity
Multiple daily direct flights from Amsterdam Schiphol, Eindhoven, and Rotterdam-The Hague to Alicante (KLM, Transavia, Vueling, easyJet, Ryanair) — typical flight time 2h 45min. The Alicante airport handled 1.6 million passengers in March 2026 alone, with the Netherlands as a top-5 source market.
3. Dutch tax pressure (Box 3)
Ongoing political discussion around the Netherlands' Box 3 wealth tax — which taxes assumed returns on savings and investments — has accelerated capital movement into property. A Spanish home is both a lifestyle asset and a way to diversify outside Dutch fiscal pressure.
4. Cost of living
Cost of living in the Costa Blanca runs 30–40% below most Dutch urban areas — particularly food, dining out, healthcare, and home services. This makes both retirement and remote-work residency mathematically attractive.
What Dutch buyers want in 2026
The current Dutch demand profile shows clear preferences:
- Move-in-ready properties — Dutch buyers are notably less keen on extensive renovations, preferring turn-key. See our spring 2026 selection of key-ready villas.
- Energy-efficient homes — sustainability is culturally important; A/B-rated energy certificates command premiums
- 2–3 bedroom apartments and bungalows in coastal towns — most common purchase type
- Villas with private pool for retirement and multi-generational use — premium Costa Blanca North
- Long-stay-friendly properties (good heating for winter, fast internet for remote work, secure for absences)
What this means for Dutch buyers in 2026
Three practical observations from the 2025–2026 data:
- Prices are accelerating: Costa Blanca property prices jumped +18.3% YoY in Q1 2026 — the window for entering the mid-market is closing
- New-build supply is constrained despite a 36.8% increase in building permits — early entry into off-plan projects locks in pre-construction prices
- Premium north (Jávea, Moraira, Dénia) rises more moderately (+5–13% YoY) — strategic for capital preservation, but entry levels are €3,700–4,200/m²
If you are starting your Spanish property search, browse our current Costa Blanca catalogue — many listings are configured for second-home and retirement use.
