In total 1.2 million people switched health insurance company during this winter’s changeover period, making it one of the busiest years on record.

This means 7% of people changed to a new health insurer, well up on the 6.4% recorded last year, figures from the Dutch health insurers association show.

Insurers had expected a large number of switchers because of the sharp rise in premiums last year. People had until January 1 to cancel their old insurance policy but until February 1 to chose a new health insurance company.

‘The percentage of people switching to a new health insurance company is significantly higher than in previous years,’ Koen Kuijper of comparison website Zorgwijzer.nl said. ‘This shows that people are increasingly aware of the price differences between policies.’