CarTraceVisit Website →
← Back to blog

Car Depreciation in the Netherlands: How Fast Your Car Loses Value

October 30, 2026
Car Depreciation in the Netherlands: How Fast Your Car Loses Value

Buyer's Guide · Reading time: about 10 minutes

Car depreciation is the difference between what you paid for a car and what it is worth today. It is usually the largest single cost of owning a car, and it is steepest in the first years. A new car typically loses 15 to 25 percent of its value in the first year, after which the yearly loss slows down. How much you lose in euros depends on the price you paid, the age of the car, its mileage, its fuel type and the condition it is in when you sell.

This guide explains how depreciation works in the Netherlands, how to calculate it with a worked example, which factors push it up or down, and what you can check before you buy so the number does not surprise you later.

Cartrace
Check a Car Before You Buy
Review a vehicle’s history, mileage and theft status in one platform, with practical insights and warnings from CarTrace’s AI agent Leo.
Check vehicle details

TL;DR

  • Depreciation is the drop in value between purchase price and resale value. Most of it happens in the first one to three years.
  • A 20% loss on a €25,000 car is €5,000, which leaves a car worth €20,000. The same percentage costs far less on a cheaper, older car.
  • Age, mileage, make and model, maintenance history and fuel type drive the rate. Mileage you cannot verify is the biggest risk when you buy used.
  • Buying a car that is two to four years old lets the first owner absorb the steepest drop, but only if the history and mileage are checked.
  • A free licence plate check shows the registered data before you pay for anything else.

Table of Contents

What car depreciation actually is

The ANWB describes depreciation as the loss in value a car undergoes over time, and counts it as one of the biggest costs of ownership next to fuel, insurance and maintenance. The value you can still get for the car at the end is its residual value, what you receive when you trade it in or sell it.

Two things are easy to mix up here:

  • Depreciation is the loss: purchase price minus current value.
  • Resale value is what remains: the amount a dealer will pay or a private buyer will accept.

The loss is real money even though you never write a cheque for it. You see it only on the day you sell. That is why it gets overlooked when people compare a car's monthly costs.

Fixed and variable depreciation

The ANWB splits the loss in two. Fixed depreciation comes from ageing and happens whether you drive the car or leave it on the street. Variable depreciation comes from use, mainly the kilometers on the odometer. Two identical cars of the same age can therefore be worth clearly different amounts if one has driven twice the distance.

How fast cars lose value

Cars do not lose value in a straight line. The curve is steep at the start and flattens later.

StageTypical pattern
First yearThe largest drop. Typical estimates for a new car are 15 to 25 percent.
Years two to fourStill significant, but each year costs less than the one before.
Older carsA smaller percentage per year, but a higher share is driven by mileage and repair costs.

The first year is steep for a simple reason: the moment a new car is registered, it becomes a used car. The dealer margin and any discount you negotiated are no longer part of what a buyer will pay.

For used cars, one Dutch-focused overview puts the yearly loss at roughly 10 to 15 percent during the first few years. Treat these as ranges, not promises. Individual models can sit far above or below them.

Some cars hold their value better

Model choice matters more than most buyers expect. According to the ANWB Koerslijst data from June 2025, popular hybrid models such as the Toyota Yaris HEV kept 67 percent of their value after five years. That is a strong result, and it shows why a car with steady demand costs less to own than a car that is cheaper to buy but harder to resell.

The opposite also happens. Models with weak demand, unusual specifications or an expensive-to-repair reputation can lose value much faster than the average for their price class.

What 20% depreciation means in euros

A percentage on its own is hard to feel. Here is how to turn it into money.

The formula: purchase price × depreciation percentage = loss in euros. Purchase price minus that loss = current value.

Example 1: a newer car

  • You buy a car for €25,000.
  • After a year it has lost 20 percent.
  • Loss: €25,000 × 0.20 = €5,000.
  • Current value: €20,000.
  • That is about €417 per month in depreciation, before fuel, insurance, tax or maintenance.

Example 2: a used car

  • You buy a three-year-old car for €15,000.
  • You keep it for two years and it loses 12 percent a year.
  • After year one: €15,000 × 0.88 = €13,200.
  • After year two: €13,200 × 0.88 = €11,616.
  • Total loss: €3,384, or about €141 per month.

The second example costs far less per month even though the percentage looks similar, because you started from a lower price. This is why buying slightly older is often the cheaper way to own a car, and why a buy, finance or lease comparison should always include the depreciation line rather than only the monthly payment.

A quick way to estimate your own number: look up what comparable cars of the same make, model, year and mileage are listed for today, then subtract that from what you paid. The ANWB Koerslijst works in a similar way. It uses the registration, the mileage and a short questionnaire to give guide prices that account for make, model, year, mileage and optional equipment.

What drives depreciation in the Netherlands

Age and mileage

Age and mileage are the two factors every valuation starts with. The ANWB also notes that values usually fall faster once a car passes about 150,000 kilometers, often because larger maintenance jobs such as a timing-belt replacement come due around then. If the next owner expects a big bill, they will deduct it from their offer.

Condition and maintenance history

General condition and a documented service history support the price. A car with gaps in its history, unexplained damage or overdue maintenance will be valued lower, because the buyer takes on the uncertainty.

Make, model and fuel type

The same source lists market conditions such as fuel prices and trends in the auto industry among the factors that move values. In practice this means that your car's drivetrain matters a lot. In recent years the Dutch used market has shifted between petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric, and prices for each have moved at different speeds. If you are considering an electric car, our article on used EV asking prices shows how quickly that part of the market can change, and the 12 things to check when buying a used electric car covers battery and charging details that affect resale.

Regulations and local rules

Rules can shift what a car is worth. Low-emission zones, for example, limit where older diesel cars can drive, which can weigh on demand. Check our overview of low-emission zones in the Netherlands before buying an older diesel.

For cars imported into the Netherlands, BPM (the registration tax) comes into play. According to Autoblog, the Dutch tax authority lets owners determine BPM depreciation for imported used cars with a koerslijst, a formal tax report or a fixed table. If you are importing, confirm the current method with the Belastingdienst, because the rules are being adjusted.

The hidden factor: can you trust the mileage?

Mileage is both the biggest variable in depreciation and the easiest number to fake. A car showing 90,000 km that has really driven 160,000 km is worth much less than the price suggests. You would pay for depreciation that has already happened.

The RDW runs a mileage check that judges a car's history as logical, illogical or no judgment. It gives an illogical judgment only for readings after 1 January 2014, so an older tampering history may not show. Imports are a particular weak spot. An RDW report on odometer fraud states that about 1.8 percent of registered vehicles have an illogical reading, while estimates for imported used vehicles run from 30 to 50 percent.

There has been progress. The RDW says its vehicle reports include mileage readings for cars imported from Belgium since 13 January 2025 and for Germany since 3 February 2026. If the car you are looking at came from abroad, ask the seller where it was registered before and compare the readings.

The hidden factor: can you trust the mileage?

Perspective: why we look at depreciation before the price

We see the same pattern again and again: buyers compare asking prices and ignore what the car will be worth when they sell it. A €1,000 cheaper car that loses value faster is not cheaper. The number that matters is the total you will have spent when you hand the keys to the next owner.

Our view is that three checks decide most of it. First, verify the mileage against more than one source. Second, look at the car's registered history for events that reduce value, such as damage, a changed owner count or an unusual import path. Third, compare the asking price with what similar cars actually sell for, not with the seller's number. None of this needs expert knowledge. It needs the data to be in front of you before you negotiate, which is why we built CarTrace to put registers, inspection data and theft status in one place.

Depreciation is a cost you can plan for. It becomes a nasty surprise only when you learn about it at the moment you sell.

— Mo

How to limit depreciation when you buy

  1. Let someone else take the first hit. A car that is two to four years old has already passed the steepest part of the curve. The saving is real only if the car's history is clean.
  2. Choose demand. Models that many people want at resale lose less. Check how long and at what price comparable cars are listed. Our car models overview shows prices, mileage and registrations per model.
  3. Avoid mileage cliffs. Buying just under a high-mileage threshold and selling before you cross it protects your resale price. Remember the ANWB's note about values dropping faster beyond 150,000 km.
  4. Keep records. Invoices, inspection results and service stamps are what a buyer pays extra for.
  5. Match fuel type to your use. Think about what the buyer in three years will want, not only what suits you today.
  6. Know the real total. Add depreciation to fuel, insurance, tax and maintenance before you decide between buying and leasing.

For a full walk-through of the buying process, use our guide on how to check a used car from advert to registration.

How to limit the loss when you sell

The ANWB points out that a private sale can bring in more money than a trade-in, which is the trade-off between price and convenience. A few habits protect your price either way:

  • Fix small defects and do any overdue maintenance before you list the car, particularly if you are near a mileage threshold.
  • Collect your service history in one place.
  • Check your own car's data first. If the registered information differs from what you advertise, buyers will notice.
  • Price from comparable listings, not from what you paid.

Knowing how quickly your car loses value also helps you pick the moment to sell. As the ANWB puts it, understanding the rate helps you avoid surprises when you sell or trade in.

Check the car before depreciation checks you

Check the car before depreciation checks you

A valuation is only as good as the data behind it. Before you pay for a car, you can look up what the registers say about it: registration data, inspection status, mileage readings and whether it is reported stolen. Our free licence plate check covers this in seconds, and our article on the RDW licence plate check explains what the public data does and does not show.

For a deeper look, CarTrace offers plans that add the full car report and ongoing monitoring. The published prices are €4.15 per month or €49.90 per year for Basic, €8.32 per month or €99.90 per year for Advanced, and €16.65 per month or €199.90 per year for Expert. The full report is currently free during our launch period. See the pricing page for what each plan includes and the current terms.

Cartrace

If you are a dealer, a lease company or a marketplace and need verified vehicle data at volume, we also offer API access. Details are on our homepage.

Common mistakes buyers make

  • Comparing monthly payments only. A low payment can hide a car that loses value quickly.
  • Trusting the odometer. A clean-looking dashboard is not evidence. Cross-check readings.
  • Ignoring the import history. A car that came from abroad may have a different usage history than the seller says.
  • Assuming every car follows the average. Ranges are useful for planning, but your model can differ widely.
  • Waiting to check. Depreciation is cheapest to fix at the buying stage, when you can still walk away or negotiate.

FAQ

How much does a car depreciate per year?

It depends on age and model. A new car commonly loses 15 to 25 percent in its first year, and used cars often lose around 10 to 15 percent a year in the following years. Some models do much better: a hybrid like the Toyota Yaris HEV kept 67 percent of its value after five years, according to ANWB data.

How do I calculate car depreciation?

Subtract the current value from the purchase price, then divide by the purchase price to get a percentage. To find the current value, compare similar cars of the same make, model, year and mileage, or use a valuation tool such as the ANWB Koerslijst. Divide the loss by the months you owned the car to get a monthly cost.

What does 20% depreciation mean?

It means the car is worth 80 percent of what you paid. On a €25,000 car, that is a loss of €5,000 and a current value of €20,000. The same 20 percent on a €10,000 car would be a €2,000 loss.

Does mileage affect depreciation?

Yes. The ANWB calls this variable depreciation, the part of the loss caused by use rather than age. Values often fall faster above about 150,000 kilometers, and a mileage that cannot be trusted lowers what a careful buyer will offer.

Is a depreciation report the same as a car history report?

Not exactly. A valuation estimates what a car is worth, while a car history report shows the registered facts behind that value, such as mileage readings, inspections and theft status. You need both to judge whether the asking price is fair.

Sources