The effect of free school meals on academic achievements in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is one of the few countries in Europe where no food at school is provided. With the rising costs of groceries in 2022 and 2023, more households are struggling with living costs, including buying (healthy) food. Therefore, in the spring of 2023, the Dutch Ministry of Education started the school meal program for schools with a large population of disadvantaged students. Schools with over 30% of students from disadvantaged backgrounds are eligible for free school meals. This study evaluates the effects of free school meals for schools with a large population of disadvantaged students on students' academic achievements in primary education. We have extensive register information from all students in the Dutch educational system, including students’ background information, and their test scores throughout primary education from student administration systems obtained through the Netherlands Cohort Study on Education.