Just one in five people come close to guessing the actual amount of the Dutch national debt, according to research by the Dutch central bank.

Nearly half of those questioned mentioned an amount under €100bn. The actual figure is €450bn.

When it comes to the cause of the debt, 47% said it has risen over the past five years because of support for banks and weak euro countries. But 43% know the real cause is the constant overspending by government departments, the central bank said.