The amount spent by first-time buyers in the Netherlands shrank to a record low last year, with just 23% of the total spend on new mortgages going to people investing in their first home.

People moving home accounted for 56% of the total spending on new mortgages and home owners switching to a new mortgage accounted for the rest, according to research by IG&H and quoted by Nu.nl.

The total amount in new mortgage loans reached €101bn last year, a rise of 25% on 2016, IG&H said.

Meanwhile, the shortage of homes in the Netherlands is set to reach 235,000 by 2020, according to a report by property advisory group Capital Value and ABF Research.

The current shortage totals 205,000 homes and is dominated by rental properties costing between €710 and €1,000 a month, the report said.

In particular, young people who have low-paid jobs and temporary contracts are finding it hard to buy and are being squeezed by the shortage of homes for rent. Elderly people are also hard hit by the shortage of suitable homes.

One reason for the shortfall in new properties is the lack of capacity in the construction sector to build them, and a lack of affordable land, the report states. In total, it says, domestic and foreign investors are willing to put €7bn into housing this year.