Health, lifestyle, health care use and supply, causes of death; from 1900

Dataset is not available.


This table presents a wide variety of historical data in the field of health, lifestyle and health care. Figures on births and mortality, causes of death and the occurrence of certain infectious diseases are available from 1900, other series from later dates.
In addition to self-perceived health, the table contains figures on infectious diseases, hospitalisations per diagnosis, life expectancy, lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and obesity, and causes of death. The table also gives information on several aspects of health care, such as the number of practising professionals, the number of available hospital beds, nursing day averages and the expenditures on care.
Many subjects are also covered in more detail by data in other tables, although sometimes with a shorter history. Data on notifiable infectious diseases and HIV/AIDS are not included in other tables.

Data available from: 1900

Status of the figures:
2023:
The available figures are definite.
2022:
Most available figures are definite.
Figures are provisional for:
- notifiable infectious diseases, HIV, AIDS;
- expenditure on care.
2021:
Most available figures are definite.
Figures are provisional for:
- notifiable infectious diseases, HIV, AIDS;
- hospital admissions according to diagnosis;
- quantitative hospital data;
- health professions.
Figures are revised provisional for:
- expenditure on healthcare.
2020:
Most available figures are definite.
Figures are provisional for:
- notifiable infectious diseases, HIV, AIDS.
Figures are revised provisional for:
- expenditure on healthcare.
2019 and earlier:
Most available figures are definite.
Due to 'dynamic' registrations, figures for notifiable infectious diseases, HIV, AIDS remain provisional.


Changes as of 22 December 2023:
- For each series the most recent available figures have been added.

When will new figures be published?
December 2024.

Description topics

Lifestyle
Some factors that may influence health: smoking, drinking alcohol, being
overweight and use of the contraceptive pill.
Smoking, 16 years or older
Up to 2001, persons aged 16 years or older were asked about whether they
smoked - and if so how many cigarettes per day - through a written
questionnaire. In 2001 the method was changed slightly and questions were
asked orally in a computer assisted interview. Subsequent response
analysis did not show a break in series as a result of this new method.
Smokers
The percentage of persons in the population aged 16 years or older who
answered 'yes' to the question 'Do you smoke?'.
Heavy smokers
Percentage of persons in the population aged 16 years or older who smoke
20 or more cigarettes per day.
Alcohol consumption, 16 years or older
Questions about drinking alcoholic beverages and how often respondents
had drunk at least six units in one day in the six months preceding the
interview were asked through a written questionnaire.
Heavy drinkers
Percentage of persons in the population aged 16 years or older who are heavy drinkers. Up to 2012 the definition of a heavy drinker was a person that drinks at least 6 glasses of alcohol on one day at least once a week. From 2012 onwards there is a distinction between men and women. For men still goes that a heavy drinker is a person who drinks at least 6 glasses of alcohol on one day at least once a week. For women goes that a heavy drinker is a person who drinks at least 4 glasses of alcohol on one day at least once a week. Due to this change in definition the figures of before 2012 and from 2012 onwards cannot be compared very well.