Are people happy with the house they live in?
In 2021, almost 86 percent of households said they were happy to very happy with the house they live in. Almost all people in owner-occupied homes (95 percent) are satisfied with their housing. Tenants are happy less often, at 72 percent. Older people are more likely to be satisfied with their homes than younger people, especially if they rent.
The figures are taken from the three-yearly Netherlands’ Housing Survey (WoON).noot1 While the level of housing satisfaction was slightly higher than in 2018 (85 percent), it was slightly lower than in 2009 when 90 percent said they were happy to very happy with the house they live in. Satisfaction declined especially among households in rental property. In 2009, 81 percent of tenants were happy to very happy with their housing situation, against 72 percent in 2021.
| Jaar | Total | Owner | Tenant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 89.2 | 96.9 | 80.0 |
| 2006 | 89.7 | 96.8 | 80.8 |
| 2009 | 90.0 | 96.5 | 80.6 |
| 2012 | 89.0 | 94.9 | 80.3 |
| 2015 | 86.9 | 93.8 | 76.9 |
| 2018 | 84.6 | 93.4 | 71.4 |
| 2021 | 85.6 | 94.6 | 72.3 |
Older people happier than young people
Older people are generally more satisfied with their housing than younger people. Among tenants in particular, the difference in terms of satisfaction is significant. Among households with a household headnoot2 aged 75 or over, an average of 93 percent are happy to very happy with the house they live in, while among households aged up to 34, the percentage is 79 percent. They are also more often tenant than owner. Particularly older tenants are more often satisfied with the house they live in than younger tenants. Indeed, at 88 percent, tenants in the highest age group are more satisfied than average.
| Type | Under 35 yrs | 35-44 yrs | 45-54 yrs | 55-64 yrs | 65-74 yrs | 75 yrs and over |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 78.6 | 83.2 | 84.4 | 86.6 | 89.6 | 92.6 |
| Owner | 93.1 | 93.2 | 93.2 | 95.2 | 96.1 | 97.2 |
| Tenant | 69.4 | 64.7 | 63.5 | 68.3 | 79.5 | 87.9 |
Young tenants and owners faced with relatively high housing costs
The housing ratio, the total housing cost as a percentage of the disposable income, averaged 36 percent for tenants in 2021. At an average of 23 percent, homeowners spent a smaller portion of their disposable income on housing.
Young households bear relatively higher housing costs than older households, especially if they are tenants. Tenants with a household head under 35 pay an average of over 41 percent of their income in housing costs, which is even higher if they rent from private landlords (over 45 percent). The household ratio is considerably lower for tenants between the ages of 35 and 54, at an average of almost 33 percent.
| Type | Under 35 yrs | 35-44 yrs | 45-54 yrs | 55-64 yrs | 65-74 yrs | 75 yrs and over |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homeowners | 26.4 | 25.0 | 23.2 | 21.9 | 21.7 | 23.9 |
| Corporate housing tenants | 37.2 | 31.0 | 31.1 | 34.6 | 33.0 | 34.8 |
| Private tenants | 45.1 | 36.1 | 38.6 | 38.5 | 39.4 | 44.4 |
| 1)Total housing cost as a percentage of disposable income | ||||||
Sources
StatLine – Housing satisfaction; dwelling characteristics, regions
StatLine – Housing satisfaction; household characteristics, regions
StatLine – Housing costs of households; dwelling characteristics, region
The questions
- How does CBS collect data?
- How much do we cycle per week on average?
- Who are most likely to work part-time?
- How many people visited Bonaire by cruise ship?
- Are people happy with the house they live in?
- How many young women encounter street harassment?
- What do the over-65s do online?
- How many wind turbines in the Netherlands?
- How far is school by bike?
- How many museums are there?
- How much electricity in the Caribbean Netherlands is renewable?
- How many adults are overweight?
- How many cargo ships dock at Dutch seaports?
- What did we listen to on the radio in 1953?
- What is the average lifespan in the Netherlands?
- Where did we go for a holiday in 1947?
- How much fish is landed?
- Where were people in the Netherlands born?
- What do we spend money on?
- How old are Dutch first-time mothers on average?
- How much cheese do we produce?
- How are goods transported through the Netherlands?
- How many people fall victim to cybercrime?
- What is the most spoken language or dialect at home?
- How many shops are there?
- What is the value of Dutch beer exports?
- How often do we have a goosebump moment?
- How many cows graze in fields?
- What are the most popular majors?
- How tall are Dutch people?
- How is the urban bird population doing?
- Where do most people work?
- What colour is our car?
- How does CBS handle your privacy?
Noten
Netherlands’ Housing Survey (WoON)
Head of the household
The Netherlands’ Housing Survey (WoON) has established the core members of each household. If there is one core member, for example in a single-parent family, that member is then considered to be the head of the household. In couples, where there are two core members, the household head is the (oldest) man or else the oldest woman. The head of the household’s age determines the age of the household.