Who are eligible to vote?

It is estimated that 13.1 million inhabitants will be able to vote in the coming elections for the House of Representatives. This is 93 percent of the Dutch population aged 18 and over. Half of the Dutch population is interested in politics and in the last five years 45 percent have participated in some form of political activity.

More than a million adults in the Netherlands do not have the right to vote in the elections for the House of Representatives that will be held on Wednesday 17 March 2021; this is almost always because they do not have Dutch nationality.

Persons not entitled to vote mostly have a western migration background

Adults without Dutch nationality are chiefly people with a migration background who were born abroad (first generation). Of these, 577 thousand have a western migration background and 400 thousand a non-western one. The percentage of people not entitled to vote is much higher among the first generation with a western migration background (67 percent of the 861 thousand) than among adults with a non-western migration background (32 percent of the 1.2 million). Virtually all members of the second generation (born in the Netherlands) are entitled to vote.

Show tableVoting-age population not eligible to vote, by migration background, as of 17 March 2021 (x 1,000)Hide tableVoting-age population not eligible to vote, by migration background, as of 17 March 2021 (x 1,000)

Voting-age population not eligible to vote, by migration background, as of 17 March 2021 (x 1,000)

Achergrond	Number
Western	.
First generation	397.54
Second generation	9.39
Non-western	.
First generation	577.52
Second generation	13.55

Relatively fewer people entitled to vote in major cities

At 14 percent, extremely urbanised municipalities have relatively the most residents who are not entitled to vote. In Amsterdam, but also in the neighbouring municipalities of Diemen and Amstelveen, this is almost 20 percent. Other municipalities that stand out are municipalities with high student numbers such as Delft and Wageningen. However, the municipality of Vaals beats them all, as one third of the population aged 18 and over is not eligible to vote.

In Tubbergen, closely followed by Dantumadiel, almost everyone aged 18 and over is entitled to vote (99 percent).

Less interest in politics among the non-Dutch

Half of the Dutch population aged 15 years and older say they are fairly or very interested in political issues.noot1 At 36 percent, interest in politics is much lower among people without Dutch nationality. People with a western migration background who have Dutch nationality have more interest in politics than people who are not Dutch nationals, at 55 percent and 43 percent, respectively. For people with a non-western migration background, this proportion is 41 percent (Dutch nationality) and 27 percent (no Dutch nationality), respectively.

While 45 percent of people with a Dutch passport had taken part in some form of political activity over the past five years, this figure is 42 percent for non-Dutch nationals.

Show tableInterest in politics and political actions, 2012/2019 (%)Hide tableInterest in politics and political actions, 2012/2019 (%)

Interest in politics and political actions, 2012/2019 (%)

	Political interest: fairly/very high	Political actions in past 5 years
Total	50.4	45.2
Dutch nationals	51.0	45.3
Non-Dutch nationals	36.1	42.2
	.	.
Western migration background	.	.
Total	52.7	47.5
Dutch nationals	55.4	46.8
Non-Dutch nationals	43.3	50.2
	.	.
Non-western migration background	.	.
Total	38.8	38.8
Dutch nationals	40.9	40.0
Non-Dutch nationals	26.8	31.9

More trust in institutions among non-Dutch

In the period 2012 through to 2019, 6 out of 10 people aged 15 years and older expressed confidence in their fellow man. For people without Dutch nationality, this figure is lower (52 percent). At 49 percent, trust in the House of Representatives is much higher among people without Dutch nationality than among Dutch nationals (37 percent).

The questions

1. How does CBS calculate the figures?
2. How do we use our land?
3. How fast is the population growing?
4. How are the various animal species doing?
5. What are our top concerns?
6. Where do the emigrants go?
7. Who use social media the most?
8. How isolated do we feel?
9. What are our favourite wedding dates? What about partnership registrations?
10. How many under-18s are receiving youth assistance?
11. What about cyber crime?
12. What are the most popular majors?
13. What are the major religions?
14. How many overnight stays?
15. How many people shop online? And the items they buy...
16. Who are eligible to vote?
17. What are young people doing online?
18. How many adults smoke or have smoked?
19. Where were people in the Caribbean Netherlands originally born?
20. Where do Caribbean Dutch children live?
21. How much internet usage in the Caribbean Netherlands?
22. How many people (never) work from home?
23. How many millionaires in the Netherlands?
24. Has our purchasing power gone up or down?
25. Which jobs have the highest levels of mental fatigue?
26. How many employees are members of a trade union?
27. How many passengers flying into and out of the Netherlands?
28. How much nitrogen is emitted at livestock farms?
29. How many dwellings in the Netherlands?
30. How much is our average mileage in electric cars?
31. What do we import from China?
32. Which prices are up, which are down?
33. What is our production of frozen fries?
34. How many enterprises in the Netherlands?
35. How much energy do we get from biomass?
36. How much do we recycle?
37. Which flower bulbs are most common?
38. What is the impact of coronavirus?