Around 900,000 people changed their health insurer at the end of 2013, compared with 1.15 million the year before, according to interim figures from care organisation Zorgverzekeraars Nederland.

The organisation says the drop, from 7.2% in 2012 to 5.7% in 2013, is most likely due to the lower cost of the basic health insurance policy which has fallen by an average of 10%.

The number of people who have changed health insurers is sharply down on estimates published on comparison sites at the end of last year. These sites were expecting a record number of people to move to another insurer.

Changes can be made to new policies until the end of February, after which more extensive figures will be published, including the number of top-up policies and the kind of policy chosen.