Dutch equipment leasing market returns to growth in Q2

The Dutch equipment leasing market recorded an 11.6% year-on-year increase in new business during the second quarter of 2026, recovering from a weak start to the year, according to Leasing Nederland-NVL.

Lease volumes were also 2.5% higher than in the first quarter, while across the first half of 2026 the market was 1% ahead of the corresponding period in 2025.

Roel Winters, Chairman of Leasing Nederland-NVL, said the figures showed that the market remained broadly stable following a particularly weak opening quarter.

“The year 2026 had started with a particularly weak first quarter, which is now being recovered,” he said.

Looking at the longer-term trend, Leasing Nederland-NVL expects the Dutch equipment leasing market to reach around €8 billion in annual volume during 2026.

Around 75% of leasing volumes are directed towards SMEs, with Winters highlighting investment in zero-emission equipment as an increasingly important driver of demand.

“SMEs in particular are facing heavy investments in zero-emission excavators or trucks, and are resorting to leasing,” he said.

The impact of the energy transition is also becoming more visible in the construction equipment market. Zero-emission construction machinery represented around 11.5% of leasing volume within the construction machinery category in 2025, twice the level recorded in 2024, with further growth expected.

Banks continue to provide the majority of Dutch leasing volumes, although non-bank leasing companies account for around a quarter of the market. Leasing Nederland-NVL said the non-bank share has declined slightly compared with 2025 following the withdrawal of one provider from the Dutch market.

The latest figures also show increased activity in larger-ticket transactions, particularly contracts worth more than €1 million. These typically involve multiple assets financed through a single leasing agreement.