The coronavirus crisis was still very present in 2021, with major consequences for
public health and the care sector. Almost 40,000 people died of COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021.
Initial measures were aimed primarily at curbing the spread of the virus so as not
to overwhelm the health care system. As the pandemic persisted, the focus increasingly
shifted to the economic impact of the measures. With a growth of 5 percent the Dutch
economy recovered remarkably rapidly from the coronavirus recession in 2021. Despite
multiple lockdowns, overall GDP was 1 percent higher than in the pre-coronavirus year
of 2019.
The pandemic continues to take a major toll on the population: the trend in mental
health was already declining, and in 2021 the proportion of Dutch people considered
to be mentally healthy fell further by 3.2 percentage points to 84.9 percent. Measures
such as lockdowns and curfews limited the number of contacts between people and increased
the risk of unequal opportunities, loneliness and mental problems. Particularly in
the final months of 2021, more attention was paid to social dislocation as a result
of the measures. There were growing calls for informed assessments with more focus
on the longer term.
In the longer term society will also face other fundamental choices in which well-being
is central. The social challenges are closely related: climate and energy, nitrogen
and conservation, housebuilding, poverty reduction and social inclusion, innovation
and competitiveness. Ambitious targets have been set in many of these areas, often
within the agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United
Nations (UN) for the period 2015–2030. In the Netherlands too this agenda provides
one of the main policy frameworks.
CBS publishes the Monitor of Well-being and the SDGs every year on Accountability
Day at the request of the Dutch Government. This monitor not only presents the state
of well-being and quality of life ‘here and now’ and how well-being is distributed
among the population groups, but also looks at the effects of the pursuit of well-being
on future generations (‘later’) and people in other countries (‘elsewhere’). CBS measures
well-being in accordance with the recommendations and the framework adopted in the
CES measurement system of the UNECE.
Well-being ‘here and now’
Well-being in the Netherlands today is described on the basis of eight themes: subjective
well-being, material well-being, health, labour and leisure time, housing, society,
safety and the environment.
The development of well-being ‘here and now’ over the 2014–2021 trend period has been
positive. This can be seen in the well-being trends wheel. The innermost ring of the
well-being trends (BWTs) provides information on the trend in 2014–2021. The outer
ring shows the change over the last reporting year compared to the previous year.
Per capita GDP is used as a reference variable in the wheels.
Explanation of well-being trend wheels
The inner ring of the well-being trends (BWTs) provides information on the long-term
trend (medium-term trend based on available data points in the years 2014–2021). The outer
ring shows the average change in the last reporting year relative to the previous
year. Move the mouse over an indicator in the figure to see what it measures. Clicking
through gives access to further information on the trend in the Netherlands and the
position relative to the other EU countries. Where possible, data are included from
1995 onwards.
For trends and the most recent annual changes the colours show the following:
For positions, the colours mean as follows:
GREEN
GREEN
The indicator is moving in the direction associated with an increase in well-being.
The Netherlands is in the top quartile of the EU ranking.
GREY
GREY
No significant rise or fall in the indicator.
The Netherlands is in the middle of the EU ranking.
RED
RED
The indicator is moving in the direction associated with a decrease in well-being.
The Netherlands is in the bottom quartile of the EU ranking.
Trends in well-being: Here and now
Trends and positions
Ten of the 28 indicators in this wheel are moving towards an increase in well-being
(green segment in the innermost ring). For six of these 10 indicators the Netherlands
is again among the leaders in the EU27: median disposable income, long-term unemployment,
net labour participation, satisfaction with work (employees), trust in institutions
and trust in people. (See the bars at the bottom of the figure).
Two indicators in the wheel show a decrease in well-being (trend is red): contact
with family, friends or neighbours and voluntary work. The Netherlands is nevertheless
highly placed in these areas compared to the other EU countries.
On the themes of subjective well-being, material well-being, health, labour and leisure
time, housing, safety and the environment, well-being has risen (green) or the trends
remain neutral (grey).
For the theme of society the picture is mixed, with two trends pointing to a decline
in well-being.
In the case of five indicators the trend has reversed. The previously red trend for
overweight population and voice and accountability has turned into a neutral trend
(grey). Satisfaction with work among employees now shows a rising trend. These are
improvements. In the development of standards and values and people often feeling
unsafe in their own neighbourhood the trend was positive but is now neutral. No surveys
on standards and values were conducted during the coronavirus period, so no new data
could be added to the series.
Latest development
Median income, household consumption and trust in people grew relatively strongly
compared to the previous year, while the percentage of people who were victims of
crime fell. This all increases well-being.
By contrast, there was a significant increase in the share of the population experiencing
environmental problems and decreases in satisfaction with housing, trust in institutions
and participation in voluntary work compared to the previous year. This represents
a decrease in well-being.
Well-being ‘later’
The choices that the Dutch make collectively ‘here and now’ have consequences for
future generations in the Netherlands (‘later’). After all, all manner of resources
(‘capital’) are needed to maintain quality of life. Well-being ‘later’ concerns the
resources that future generations can access in order to achieve at least the same
level of well-being as that of the current generation. The amounts of economic, natural,
human and social capital must at least remain constant over the long term to achieve
sustainability.
The wheel representing well-being ‘later’ clearly shows future well-being coming under
greater pressure than current well-being.
