https://www.humantruth.info/netherlands.html
By Vexen Crabtree 2025
Netherlands Kingdom of the Netherlands | ![]() |
---|---|
Status | Independent State |
Social and Moral Index | 5th best |
Capital | Amsterdam (administrative) and The Hague (legislative/judicial) |
Land Area | 33 730km21 |
Location | Europe |
Population | 17.1m2 |
Life Expectancy | 81.69yrs (2017)3 |
GNI | $55 979 (2017)4 |
ISO3166-1 Codes | NL, NLD, 5285 |
Internet Domain | .nl6 |
Currency | Euro (EUR)7 |
Telephone | +318 |
#belgium #luxembourg #netherlands
Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg share a long cultural history, so much so, that they are identified collectively by the well-known contraction, 'Benelux'9.
“The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1579; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world. After a 20-year French occupation, a Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830 Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I, but suffered invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EEC (now the EU) and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999. In October 2010, the former Netherlands Antilles was dissolved and the three smallest islands - Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba - became special municipalities in the Netherlands administrative structure. The larger islands of Sint Maarten and Curacao joined the Netherlands and Aruba as constituent countries forming the Kingdom of the Netherlands.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)10
“Discover the many secrets of this gently beautiful country and its masterpieces, canal towns and windmills. Revel in the welcoming yet wry culture at a cafe, then bike past fields of tulips. Great Dutch artists Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh have spanned the centuries, and touring the Netherlands you´ll see why. Discover clichés such as tulips and windmills, or stroll canals in the midst of 17th-century splendour in beautiful small towns such as Leiden and Delft. Of course, enticing Amsterdam´s phenomenal and diverse nightlife is world-famous, from its throbbing clubs to quaint brown cafes.
The locals live on bicycles and you can too. Almost every train station has a shop to rent a bike - you´ll soon be off on the ubiquitous bike paths, wherever your mood takes you.
Finally there´s the Dutch themselves. Warm, friendly and funny, you´ll have a hard time being alone in a cafe as someone will soon strike up a conversation, and usually in English. Revel in Amsterdam, don´t miss exquisite Maastricht or pulsing Rotterdam, and pick a passel of small towns to add contrast. It´s a very big small country.”
Unfortunately, The Netherlands is quietly becoming infamous as a Tax Haven, wherein rich individuals, corporations, and criminals hide money from authorities12.
#economics #human_development #wealth
UN HDI (2021)13 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better Value13 | |
1 | Switzerland | 0.962 |
2 | Norway | 0.961 |
3 | Iceland | 0.959 |
... | ||
7 | Sweden | 0.947 |
8 | Ireland | 0.945 |
9 | Germany | 0.942 |
10 | Netherlands | 0.941 |
11 | Finland | 0.940 |
12 | Singapore | 0.939 |
13= | Belgium | 0.937 |
13= | New Zealand | 0.937 |
Europe Avg | 0.87 | |
World Avg | 0.72 | |
q=191. |
Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)13 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better PPP $13 | |
1 | Liechtenstein | $146 830 |
2 | Singapore | $90 919 |
3 | Qatar | $87 134 |
... | ||
10 | Hong Kong | $62 607 |
11 | UAE | $62 574 |
12 | Denmark | $60 365 |
13 | Netherlands | $55 979 |
14 | Iceland | $55 782 |
15 | Germany | $54 534 |
16 | Sweden | $54 489 |
17 | Austria | $53 619 |
Europe Avg | $40 512 | |
World Avg | $20 136 | |
q=193. |
Social & Moral Development Index14 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank14 | |
1 | Denmark | 29.1 |
2 | Norway | 32.3 |
3 | Sweden | 34.1 |
4 | Switzerland | 34.4 |
5 | Netherlands | 35.2 |
6 | Finland | 37.1 |
7 | Austria | 38.4 |
8 | Japan | 41.8 |
9 | Germany | 41.9 |
10 | Ireland | 42.1 |
11 | New Zealand | 42.1 |
12 | Belgium | 42.5 |
Europe Avg | 55.7 | |
World Avg | 88.9 | |
q=199. |
The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..
The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.
#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen
Population:
The Netherlands's population is predicted to rise to 17.31 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.49. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.15Population2 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2018 Population2 | |
1 | China | 1.4b |
2 | India | 1.4b |
3 | USA | 327.1m |
... | ||
64 | Zambia | 17.4m |
65 | Guatemala | 17.2m |
66 | Ecuador | 17.1m |
67 | Netherlands | 17.1m |
68 | Syria | 16.9m |
69 | Cambodia | 16.2m |
70 | Senegal | 15.9m |
71 | Chad | 15.5m |
World Avg | 39.0m | |
q=195. |
Life Expectancy Higher is better13 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2021 Years13 | |
1 | Monaco | 85.9 |
2 | Hong Kong | 85.5 |
3 | Japan | 84.8 |
... | ||
20 | Finland | 82.0 |
21 | Ireland | 82.0 |
22 | Belgium | 81.9 |
23 | Netherlands | 81.7 |
24 | Austria | 81.6 |
25 | Denmark | 81.4 |
26 | Cyprus | 81.2 |
27 | Portugal | 81.0 |
World Avg | 71.28 | |
q=195. |
Fertility Rate 2.0 is best16 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 202216 | |
1 | US Virgin Islands | 2.00 |
2 | Ecuador | 2.00 |
3 | Nepal | 2.01 |
... | ||
87 | St Kitts & Nevis | 1.51 |
88 | Kosovo | 1.51 |
89 | Belarus | 1.50 |
90 | Netherlands | 1.49 |
91 | Uruguay | 1.48 |
92= | Latvia | 1.47 |
92= | Liechtenstein | 1.47 |
94 | Channel Islands | 1.47 |
World Avg | 2.47 | |
q=208. |
Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better17 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2016 Per 10017 | |
1 | Uganda | 04.3 |
2 | Mali | 04.5 |
3= | Chad | 04.7 |
... | ||
175 | Austria | 40.5 |
176 | Greece | 41.3 |
177 | Spain | 41.4 |
178 | Netherlands | 41.9 |
179 | Slovenia | 42.7 |
180 | Finland | 43.3 |
181 | Hong Kong | 43.7 |
182 | Portugal | 44.7 |
World Avg | 18.3 | |
q=185. |
Migration:
Immigrants18 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 %18 | |
1 | UAE | 88.4% |
2 | Kuwait | 75.5% |
3 | Qatar | 65.2% |
... | ||
47 | France | 12.2% |
48 | Barbados | 12.1% |
49 | Djibouti | 12.1% |
50 | Netherlands | 12.1% |
51 | Slovenia | 11.8% |
52 | Denmark | 11.5% |
53 | Belarus | 11.4% |
54 | Montenegro | 11.3% |
World Avg | 9.4% | |
q=195. |
Emigrants19 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2010 %19 | |
1 | Dominica | 104.8% |
2 | Palestine | 68.4% |
3 | Samoa | 67.3% |
... | ||
95 | Singapore | 6.1% |
96 | Guatemala | 6.1% |
97 | Brunei | 6.0% |
98 | Netherlands | 6.0% |
99 | Italy | 5.8% |
100 | Benin | 5.8% |
101 | Laos | 5.7% |
102 | Turkey | 5.6% |
World Avg | 11.5% | |
q=192. |
#christianity #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #islam #morals #Netherlands #netherlands_freedom #politics #prejudice #tolerance
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)20 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank20 | |
1 | Sweden | 6.1 |
2 | Denmark | 8.6 |
3 | Norway | 9.0 |
4 | Netherlands | 9.8 |
5 | Iceland | 12.9 |
6 | New Zealand | 13.3 |
7 | Canada | 14.7 |
8 | Austria | 14.9 |
9 | Australia | 16.0 |
10 | Luxembourg | 16.2 |
Europe Avg | 47.37 | |
World Avg | 86.55 | |
q=199. |
For tables, charts and commentary, see:
#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #netherlands #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines
Compared to Europe (2025)33 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank33 | |
1 | Monaco | 14.3 |
2 | Liechtenstein | 30.1 |
3 | Isle of Man | 32.1 |
... | ||
8 | Sweden | 50.8 |
9 | Denmark | 52.5 |
10 | Switzerland | 53.1 |
11 | Netherlands | 55.2 |
12 | Iceland | 55.9 |
13 | Channel Islands | 58.4 |
14 | Finland | 59.8 |
15 | Belgium | 61.5 |
16 | Luxembourg | 63.9 |
Europe Avg | 86.87 | |
q=51. |
Health (2025)33 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank33 | |
1 | Monaco | 14.3 |
2 | Liechtenstein | 30.1 |
3 | Isle of Man | 32.1 |
... | ||
17 | US Virgin Islands | 51.9 |
18 | Denmark | 52.5 |
19 | Switzerland | 53.1 |
20 | Netherlands | 55.2 |
21 | Iceland | 55.9 |
22 | New Caledonia | 57.9 |
23 | Channel Islands | 58.4 |
24 | China | 58.6 |
World Avg | 97.60 | |
q=213. |
The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man34. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Cook Islands, The Marshall Islands and Niue34.
25 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans34, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia34.
For more, see:
Health:
The Netherlands does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. The Netherlands comes in the best 20 in its adolescent birth rate35 and in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance36. It does better than average when it comes to its average life expectancy13 and in its fertility rate16. But, things still need to improve in The Netherlands. The Netherlands does worse than average in terms of its suicide rate37 (still good for Europe), the prevalence of overweight adults38 (still low for Europe), its immunizations take-up39, its alcohol consumption rate40 (still low for Europe) and in its smoking rate41 (still low for Europe). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in the Netherlands improved by +5yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. The Netherlands's peak fertility rate was 3.22 in 1961.Life Expectancy Higher is better13 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2021 Years13 | |
1 | Monaco | 85.9 |
2 | Hong Kong | 85.5 |
3 | Japan | 84.8 |
... | ||
20 | Finland | 82.0 |
21 | Ireland | 82.0 |
22 | Belgium | 81.9 |
23 | Netherlands | 81.7 |
24 | Austria | 81.6 |
25 | Denmark | 81.4 |
26 | Cyprus | 81.2 |
27 | Portugal | 81.0 |
Europe Avg | 78.36 | |
World Avg | 71.28 | |
q=195. |
Alcohol Consumption Lower is better40 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2016 Per Capita40 | |
1 | Bangladesh | 0.0 |
2 | Kuwait | 0.0 |
3 | Libya | 0.0 |
... | ||
128= | Trinidad & Tobago | 8.4 |
128= | Vietnam | 8.4 |
130 | Ukraine | 8.6 |
131 | Netherlands | 8.7 |
132= | Croatia | 8.9 |
132= | Cameroon | 8.9 |
132= | Canada | 8.9 |
135 | Rwanda | 9.0 |
Europe Avg | 10.3 | |
World Avg | 6.2 | |
q=189. |
Fertility Rate 2.0 is best16 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 202216 | |
1 | US Virgin Islands | 2.00 |
2 | Ecuador | 2.00 |
3 | Nepal | 2.01 |
... | ||
87 | St Kitts & Nevis | 1.51 |
88 | Kosovo | 1.51 |
89 | Belarus | 1.50 |
90 | Netherlands | 1.49 |
91 | Uruguay | 1.48 |
92= | Latvia | 1.47 |
92= | Liechtenstein | 1.47 |
94 | Channel Islands | 1.47 |
Europe Avg | 1.53 | |
World Avg | 2.47 | |
q=208. |
Smoking Rates Lower is better41 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201441 | |
1 | Guinea | 15 |
2 | Solomon Islands | 26 |
3 | Kiribati | 28 |
... | ||
144 | Georgia | 1 378 |
145 | Cuba | 1 392 |
146 | Saudi Arabia | 1 395 |
147 | Netherlands | 1 396 |
148 | Poland | 1 396 |
149 | Italy | 1 443 |
150 | Germany | 1 480 |
151 | Bulgaria | 1 505 |
Europe Avg | 1 648 | |
World Avg | 819 | |
q=182. |
Suicide Rate37 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2013 Per 100k37 | |
1 | Haiti | 0 |
2 | Grenada | 0 |
3 | Egypt | 0.1 |
... | ||
44 | Australia | 16.4 |
45 | El Salvador | 16.5 |
46 | Kyrgyzstan | 17.7 |
47 | Netherlands | 18.6 |
48 | Luxembourg | 19.3 |
49 | Portugal | 19.6 |
50 | Singapore | 20.6 |
51 | India | 20.8 |
Europe Avg | 26.99 | |
World Avg | 20.93 | |
q=91. |
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better36 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Rank36 | |
1 | Sweden | 1 |
2 | Ireland | 2 |
3 | Denmark | 3 |
4 | UK | 4 |
5 | Norway | 5 |
6 | Switzerland | 6 |
7 | Germany | 7 |
8 | Canada | 8 |
9 | Netherlands | 9 |
10 | USA | 10 |
11 | Luxembourg | 11 |
12 | Finland | 12 |
Europe Avg | 47.4 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Overweight Adults Lower is better38 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 1976 %38 | |
1 | Bangladesh | 4.7 |
2 | Vietnam | 5.1 |
3 | Nepal | 5.4 |
... | ||
119 | Cyprus | 33.0 |
120 | Moldova | 33.4 |
121 | Peru | 33.5 |
122 | Netherlands | 33.7 |
123 | Albania | 33.8 |
124 | Syria | 34.3 |
125 | Ireland | 34.5 |
126 | Armenia | 34.6 |
Europe Avg | 38.2 | |
World Avg | 27.1 | |
q=191. |
Adult Obesity Lower is better42 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 %42 | |
1 | Vietnam | 2.1% |
2 | Timor-Leste (E. Timor) | 2.2% |
3 | Ethiopia | 2.4% |
... | ||
62 | Comoros | 15.5% |
63 | Liberia | 16.2% |
64 | Sweden | 16.4% |
65 | Netherlands | 16.9% |
66 | Austria | 17.0% |
67 | Equatorial Guinea | 17.2% |
68 | Botswana | 17.5% |
69 | Maldives | 17.6% |
Europe Avg | 25.9% | |
World Avg | 24.7% | |
q=199. |
Children's Health:
Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better35 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 Per 100035 | |
1 | Hong Kong | 1.6 |
2 | Denmark | 1.8 |
3 | S. Korea | 2.1 |
4 | Norway | 2.2 |
5 | Switzerland | 2.2 |
6 | N. Korea | 2.4 |
7 | Singapore | 2.5 |
8 | Netherlands | 2.7 |
9 | Japan | 2.8 |
10 | UAE | 2.8 |
11 | Liechtenstein | 3.0 |
12 | Sweden | 3.3 |
Europe Avg | 11.4 | |
World Avg | 43.8 | |
q=195. |
Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better39 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2015 Avg %39 | |
1= | Hungary | 99.0 |
1= | China | 99.0 |
3 | Uzbekistan | 98.9 |
... | ||
128 | Costa Rica | 88.5 |
129 | Colombia | 88.4 |
130 | Kiribati | 88.4 |
131 | Netherlands | 88.1 |
132 | Paraguay | 88.1 |
133 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 88.0 |
134 | Sierra Leone | 87.7 |
135 | Suriname | 87.2 |
Europe Avg | 92.7 | |
World Avg | 88.3 | |
q=194. |
Throughout the 1990s to the 2010s, the Netherlands was amongst the 10 countries with the lowest adolescent birth rate.
#climate_change #energy #Netherlands #netherlands_and_the_environment #Netherlands_environment #sustainability #the_environment
Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)43 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank43 | |
1 | Sri Lanka | 34.9 |
2 | Uruguay | 43.2 |
3 | Switzerland | 45.0 |
... | ||
57 | Ivory Coast | 70.8 |
58 | Colombia | 70.9 |
59 | Togo | 71.1 |
60 | Netherlands | 71.1 |
61 | Luxembourg | 71.4 |
62 | Sweden | 71.8 |
Europe Avg | 86.45 | |
World Avg | 84.93 | |
q=199. |
For tables, charts and commentary, see:
#australia #education #english #intelligence #it_security #maths #modernity #netherlands #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet
Despite the huge success of Dutch education, evidenced by the statistics compared to the rest of the world, there are issues with the education system that causes problems for overall societal cohesion.
“Under the Dutch system of "pillarization"... children are educated in separate Protestant, Catholic, Muslim and secular systems. Receiving an education in a state-sponsored school without ever having to deal with people outside one´s own religion is not likely to foster rapid assimilation.”
"Against Identity Politics" by Francis Fukuyama (2018)50
A modern "depilliarisation" movement is in progress, although not moving very quickly.
Compared to Europe (2020)51 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank51 | |
1 | Finland | 7.1 |
2 | Belgium | 12.9 |
3 | Denmark | 13.6 |
... | ||
8 | Estonia | 17.9 |
9 | Norway | 18.3 |
10 | UK | 19.4 |
11 | Netherlands | 19.5 |
12 | Ireland | 19.8 |
13 | Austria | 19.9 |
14= | Czechia | 21.8 |
15 | Slovenia | 22.5 |
16 | France | 26.8 |
Europe Avg | 39.81 | |
q=45. |
Modernity & Learning (2020)51 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank51 | |
1 | Finland | 7.1 |
2 | Belgium | 12.9 |
3 | Denmark | 13.6 |
... | ||
10 | Estonia | 17.9 |
11 | Norway | 18.3 |
12 | UK | 19.4 |
13 | Netherlands | 19.5 |
14 | Ireland | 19.8 |
15 | Austria | 19.9 |
16= | Czechia | 21.8 |
16= | Canada | 21.8 |
World Avg | 86.31 | |
q=190. |
The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark52. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone52. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots53.
“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)54
15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe52, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia52.
For more, see:
Modernity and Education:
In 1994, education in the Netherlands was the 2nd-longest in the world at 17.3 years, beaten only by Australia. 55
Research & Development Higher is better | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2016 % RDP PPP | |
1 | S. Korea | 4.2956 |
2 | Israel | 4.1156 |
3 | Japan | 3.5856 |
... | ||
15 | Australia | 2.2557 |
16= | Singapore | 2.0058 |
16= | Czechia | 2.0056 |
18 | Netherlands | 1.9756 |
19 | Iceland | 1.8956 |
20= | Norway | 1.7056 |
20= | UK | 1.7056 |
22 | Canada | 1.6156 |
Europe Avg | 1.32 | |
World Avg | 0.84 | |
q=126. |
Secondary Education Higher is better59 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201859 | |
1= | Luxembourg | 100.0% |
1= | Estonia | 100.0% |
1= | Austria | 100.0% |
... | ||
46 | Mongolia | 88.8% |
47 | Bahamas | 88.4% |
48 | Ireland | 88.3% |
49 | Netherlands | 88.3% |
50 | Cuba | 87.4% |
51 | Poland | 85.3% |
52 | Belgium | 84.8% |
53 | UK | 84.5% |
Europe Avg | 88.3% | |
World Avg | 63.0% | |
q=169. |
Length of Schooling Higher is better60 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2021 Years60 | |
1 | Australia | 21.1 |
2 | New Zealand | 20.3 |
3 | Greece | 20.0 |
... | ||
7 | Finland | 19.1 |
8 | Ireland | 18.9 |
9 | Denmark | 18.7 |
10 | Netherlands | 18.7 |
11 | Grenada | 18.7 |
12 | Turkey | 18.3 |
13 | Norway | 18.2 |
14 | Spain | 17.9 |
Europe Avg | 16.1 | |
World Avg | 13.5 | |
q=193. |
Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better36 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Rank36 | |
1 | Ukraine | 1 |
2 | Czechia | 2 |
3 | Hungary | 3 |
4 | Denmark | 4 |
5 | UK | 5 |
6 | Austria | 6 |
7 | Finland | 7 |
8 | Netherlands | 8 |
9 | Belgium | 9 |
10 | Slovenia | 10 |
11 | Switzerland | 11 |
12 | New Zealand | 12 |
Europe Avg | 31.3 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better61 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2015 Score61 | |
1 | Singapore | 1655 |
2 | Hong Kong | 1598 |
3 | Japan | 1586 |
... | ||
11= | Ireland | 1528 |
11= | Slovenia | 1528 |
13 | Germany | 1524 |
14= | Netherlands | 1524 |
15 | Switzerland | 1519 |
16 | New Zealand | 1517 |
17= | Norway | 1513 |
17= | Denmark | 1513 |
Europe Avg | 1417 | |
World Avg | 1389 | |
q=70. |
Religiosity Lower is better62 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2018 %62 | |
1 | China | 3 |
2 | Estonia | 6 |
3 | Czechia | 7 |
... | ||
21= | Vietnam | 18 |
22 | Bulgaria | 19 |
23= | Norway | 19 |
24 | Netherlands | 20 |
25= | Italy | 21 |
25= | Belarus | 21 |
27 | Ireland | 22 |
28= | Kazakhstan | 22 |
Europe Avg | 25.8 | |
World Avg | 54.3 | |
q=106. |
IQ Higher is better63 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 200663 | |
1= | Hong Kong | 108 |
1= | Singapore | 108 |
3 | S. Korea | 106 |
... | ||
8= | Iceland | 101 |
8= | Switzerland | 101 |
8= | Mongolia | 101 |
11 | Netherlands | 100 |
12= | Norway | 100 |
12= | Austria | 100 |
12= | UK | 100 |
15 | New Zealand | 99 |
Europe Avg | 96.6 | |
World Avg | 85.6 | |
q=138. |
Technology and Information:
Internet Users Higher is better64 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201664 | |
1 | Iceland | 100% |
2 | Faroe Islands | 99% |
3 | Norway | 98% |
4 | Bermuda | 97% |
5 | Andorra | 97% |
6 | Denmark | 96% |
7 | Liechtenstein | 96% |
8 | Luxembourg | 95% |
9 | Netherlands | 94% |
10 | Sweden | 93% |
11 | Monaco | 93% |
12 | UK | 93% |
Europe Avg | 76.7% | |
World Avg | 48.1% | |
q=201. |
IT Security Lower is better65 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201365 | |
1= | Ireland | 0.11 |
1= | Luxembourg | 0.11 |
1= | Belize | 0.11 |
... | ||
65 | Nepal | 1.45 |
66 | Afghanistan | 1.45 |
67 | Germany | 1.46 |
68 | Netherlands | 1.47 |
69 | Rwanda | 1.50 |
70 | Tanzania | 1.50 |
71 | Maldives | 1.57 |
72 | China | 1.59 |
Europe Avg | 0.80 | |
World Avg | 0.98 | |
IPv6 Uptake Higher is better66 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Ratio66 | |
1 | Belgium | 55.4 |
2 | Germany | 41.8 |
3 | Switzerland | 35.1 |
... | ||
20 | Trinidad & Tobago | 14.5 |
21 | Finland | 14.1 |
22 | Brazil | 13.9 |
23 | Netherlands | 10.5 |
24 | Czechia | 10.1 |
25 | New Zealand | 9.7 |
26 | Romania | 8.7 |
27 | Austria | 7.5 |
Europe Avg | 8.11 | |
World Avg | 3.82 | |
q=176. |
Digital Quality of Life Higher is better67 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 202467 | |
1 | Germany | 77.9% |
2 | Finland | 76.9% |
3 | France | 73.9% |
4 | Netherlands | 72.6% |
5 | Denmark | 72.3% |
6 | Austria | 70.8% |
7 | Spain | 70.5% |
8 | Luxembourg | 70.0% |
9 | UK | 69.3% |
10 | Estonia | 69.3% |
11 | Switzerland | 69.0% |
12 | Sweden | 68.7% |
Europe Avg | 61.0% | |
World Avg | 48.4% | |
q=121. |
#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #morals #netherlands #peace #politics #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism
Compared to Europe (2020)68 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank68 | |
1 | Denmark | 11.2 |
2 | Norway | 13.9 |
3 | Netherlands | 14.4 |
4 | Finland | 16.1 |
5 | Sweden | 19.6 |
6 | Austria | 20.7 |
7 | Switzerland | 21.2 |
8 | Iceland | 22.3 |
9 | Ireland | 22.8 |
10 | Germany | 24.4 |
11 | Luxembourg | 25.7 |
12 | Belgium | 31.3 |
13 | UK | 31.8 |
Europe Avg | 48.48 | |
q=44. |
Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)68 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank68 | |
1 | Denmark | 11.2 |
2 | Norway | 13.9 |
3 | Netherlands | 14.4 |
4 | New Zealand | 15.5 |
5 | Finland | 16.1 |
6 | Sweden | 19.6 |
7 | Singapore | 20.2 |
8 | Austria | 20.7 |
9 | Switzerland | 21.2 |
10 | Iceland | 22.3 |
11 | Ireland | 22.8 |
12 | Canada | 23.1 |
World Avg | 78.12 | |
q=180. |
This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.
For more, see:
National Culture:
World Giving Index Higher is better69 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 %69 | |
1 | Indonesia | 68.0 |
2 | Kenya | 61.0 |
3 | USA | 59.0 |
... | ||
20= | Argentina | 47.0 |
20= | Poland | 47.0 |
22 | Serbia | 46.0 |
23= | Netherlands | 46.0 |
23= | Jamaica | 46.0 |
23= | Russia | 46.0 |
23= | Iceland | 46.0 |
23= | Honduras | 46.0 |
Europe Avg | 39.0 | |
World Avg | 39.6 | |
q=125. |
Corruption Higher is better70 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 Points70 | |
1 | Denmark | 90.0 |
2= | Finland | 87.0 |
2= | New Zealand | 87.0 |
4 | Norway | 84.0 |
5= | Singapore | 83.0 |
5= | Sweden | 83.0 |
7 | Switzerland | 82.0 |
8 | Netherlands | 80.0 |
9 | Germany | 79.0 |
10= | Ireland | 77.0 |
10= | Luxembourg | 77.0 |
12 | Hong Kong | 76.0 |
Europe Avg | 57.61 | |
World Avg | 42.98 | |
q=180. |
In the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s the Netherlands had the 8th-best average result per year in each of those decades, consistently remaining one the best countries in the world at resisting corruption.
Happiness Higher is better71 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2024 Score71 | |
1 | Finland | 7.7 |
2 | Denmark | 7.5 |
3 | Iceland | 7.5 |
4 | Sweden | 7.3 |
5 | Netherlands | 7.3 |
6 | Costa Rica | 7.3 |
7 | Norway | 7.3 |
8 | Israel | 7.2 |
9 | Luxembourg | 7.1 |
10 | Mexico | 7.0 |
11 | Australia | 7.0 |
12 | New Zealand | 7.0 |
Europe Avg | 6.37 | |
World Avg | 5.58 | |
q=147. |
Creativity & Culture Lower is better36 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Rank36 | |
1 | Belgium | 1 |
2 | Netherlands | 2 |
3 | Estonia | 3 |
4 | Switzerland | 4 |
5 | Sweden | 5 |
6 | Denmark | 6 |
7 | Austria | 7 |
8 | Ireland | 8 |
9 | Czechia | 9 |
10 | Luxembourg | 10 |
11 | UK | 11 |
12 | Portugal | 12 |
Europe Avg | 35.0 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better36 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Rank36 | |
1 | Ireland | 1 |
2 | Denmark | 2 |
3 | Sweden | 3 |
4 | Netherlands | 4 |
5 | Switzerland | 5 |
6 | Serbia | 6 |
7 | Belgium | 7 |
8 | Norway | 8 |
9 | Finland | 9 |
10 | Croatia | 10 |
11 | Georgia | 11 |
12 | Philippines | 12 |
Europe Avg | 42.6 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Peace Versus Instability:
Global Peace Index Lower is better72 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2023 Score72 | |
1 | Iceland | 1.12 |
2 | Denmark | 1.31 |
3 | Ireland | 1.31 |
... | ||
13 | Finland | 1.40 |
14 | Croatia | 1.45 |
15 | Germany | 1.46 |
16 | Netherlands | 1.49 |
17 | Bhutan | 1.50 |
18 | Hungary | 1.51 |
19 | Malaysia | 1.51 |
20 | Belgium | 1.52 |
Europe Avg | 1.70 | |
World Avg | 2.07 | |
q=163. |
Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better36 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Rank36 | |
1 | Samoa | 1 |
2 | S. Africa | 2 |
3 | Tunisia | 3 |
... | ||
24 | Ecuador | 24 |
25 | Madagascar | 25 |
26 | Sri Lanka | 26 |
27 | Netherlands | 27 |
28 | Mongolia | 28 |
29 | Rwanda | 29 |
30 | Paraguay | 30 |
31 | Jordan | 31 |
Europe Avg | 84.6 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better36 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Rank36 | |
1 | Austria | 1 |
2 | Germany | 2 |
3 | Netherlands | 3 |
4 | Sweden | 4 |
5 | Malta | 5 |
6 | Australia | 6 |
7 | Norway | 7 |
8 | Finland | 8 |
9 | Denmark | 9 |
10 | Switzerland | 10 |
11 | Canada | 11 |
12 | UK | 12 |
Europe Avg | 37.8 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Impact of Terrorism Lower is better73 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2019 Score73 | |
1 | Togo | 0.00 |
2 | Mongolia | 0.00 |
3 | Swaziland | 0.00 |
... | ||
71 | Haiti | 2.18 |
72 | Kosovo | 2.26 |
73 | Japan | 2.29 |
74 | Netherlands | 2.35 |
75 | Ecuador | 2.46 |
76 | Kuwait | 2.49 |
77 | Malaysia | 2.50 |
78 | Brazil | 2.53 |
Europe Avg | 1.62 | |
World Avg | 2.78 | |
q=150. |
Economic Inequality and Poverty:
Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better74 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201974 | |
1 | Iceland | 2.40 |
2= | Singapore | 2.50 |
2= | Hong Kong | 2.50 |
... | ||
9 | Norway | 3.00 |
10= | S. Korea | 3.00 |
10= | Spain | 3.00 |
12 | Netherlands | 3.10 |
13= | Italy | 3.10 |
14 | Israel | 3.30 |
15= | Luxembourg | 3.40 |
15= | Ireland | 3.40 |
Europe Avg | 4.86 | |
World Avg | 14.59 | |
q=184. |
Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better75 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2023 %75 | |
1 | Slovakia | 24.1%76 |
2 | Slovenia | 24.3%76 |
3 | Belarus | 24.4%77 |
4 | Ukraine | 25.6%77 |
5= | Moldova | 25.7%76 |
5= | Netherlands | 25.7%76 |
7 | Iceland | 26.1%78 |
8 | Czechia | 26.2%76 |
9= | Kyrgyzstan | 26.4%79 |
9= | UAE | 26.4%80 |
11 | Syria | 26.6%79 |
12= | Azerbaijan | 26.6%81 |
Europe Avg | 30.7% | |
World Avg | 36.5% | |
q=167. |
#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #netherlands #religion #religiosity #secularisation
Religiosity (2018)62 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better %62 | |
1 | China | 3 |
2 | Estonia | 6 |
3 | Czechia | 7 |
... | ||
21= | Vietnam | 18 |
22 | Bulgaria | 19 |
23= | Norway | 19 |
24 | Netherlands | 20 |
25= | Italy | 21 |
25= | Belarus | 21 |
27 | Ireland | 22 |
28= | Kazakhstan | 22 |
28= | Spain | 22 |
30 | Slovakia | 23 |
31= | Ukraine | 23 |
32 | Canada | 27 |
33= | Uzbekistan | 29 |
33= | Uruguay | 29 |
35 | Poland | 30 |
36 | Serbia | 34 |
World Avg | 54.3 | |
q=106. |
Disbelief In God (2007)82 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better %82 | |
1 | Vietnam | 81 |
2 | Japan | 65 |
3 | Sweden | 64 |
4 | Czechia | 61 |
5 | Estonia | 49 |
6 | Denmark | 48 |
7 | France | 44 |
8 | Belgium | 43 |
9= | Netherlands | 42 |
9= | Germany | 42 |
9= | UK | 42 |
12 | Cuba | 40 |
13 | Slovenia | 35 |
14 | Bulgaria | 34 |
15 | Hungary | 32 |
16 | Norway | 31 |
17 | S. Korea | 30 |
18 | Finland | 28 |
19 | Russia | 27 |
20 | Australia | 25 |
World Avg | 9.9 | |
q=137. |
Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below83:
Christian | 50.6% |
Muslim | 6% |
Hindu | 0.5% |
Buddhist | 0.2% |
Folk Religion | 0.2% |
Jewish | 0.2% |
Unaffiliated | 42.1% |
It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 57.7% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 20% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".
For more on this phenomenon, see:
"Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)
The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Roman Catholic 30%, Protestant 20% (Dutch Reformed 11%, Calvinist 6%, other Protestant 3%), Muslim 5.8%, other 2.2%, none 42% (2006)84.
The Netherlands has a long history of religious tolerance85, for example, it was a safe haven for Jewish refugees from Christian persecution during the Spanish Inquisition in the 16th century86. But the murder of Theo van Gogh "by a Muslim extremist in November 2004 led to a sharp reversal of public opinion, turning against immigration in general and Muslim immigration in particular"85.
The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)87, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for The Netherlands states:
“The constitution and other laws and policies protect freedom of religion or belief. However, it is a crime to engage in public speech that incites religious hatred. Article 137c of the Dutch Penal Code penalizes defamation of groups "because of their race, religion or convictions, their heterosexual or homosexual orientation or physical, psychological or mental disability..."
Article 137d criminalizes inciting "hatred or discrimination against persons or violence against person or property on the grounds of their race, religion or beliefs, their gender, their heterosexual or homosexual orientation or their physical, psychological or mental disability..." Article 429bis criminalizes display of "scornful blasphemy for insulting religious feelings" along public roads. Fines are to be levied, with prison for repeat offenders.”
"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)88
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