The official Dutch sick leave rate rose marginally last year to 4.4%, the national statistics office CBS said on Monday.

That means the average worker was off sick for 44 of every 1,000 days they worked. Flu was responsible for almost half the sick days, the CBS said.

The rate has been rising for five years. Most reports are made by nursing home and residential care workers, who are off sick for an average of 68 for every 1,000 days worked.

The sick leave rate was also above average in the civil service, industry, transport and logistics and education sectors. The lowest rate was in farming.