Life style and (preventive) health; personal characteristics, 2014-2021

Life style and (preventive) health; personal characteristics, 2014-2021

Characteristics persons Margins Periods Physical activity, 4 years or older Physical activity guidelines Comply with physical activity guidelines (%)
Position: partner in couple with child Value 2014 .
Position: partner in couple with child Value 2015 .
Position: partner in couple with child Value 2016 .
Position: partner in couple with child Value 2017 47.5
Position: partner in couple with child Value 2018 49.0
Position: partner in couple with child Value 2019 51.3
Position: partner in couple with child Value 2020 58.0
Position: partner in couple with child Value 2021 48.7
Position: partner in couple with child Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2014 .
Position: partner in couple with child Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2015 .
Position: partner in couple with child Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2016 .
Position: partner in couple with child Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2017 45.5
Position: partner in couple with child Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2018 46.9
Position: partner in couple with child Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2019 49.1
Position: partner in couple with child Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2020 55.8
Position: partner in couple with child Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2021 46.4
Position: partner in couple with child Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2014 .
Position: partner in couple with child Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2015 .
Position: partner in couple with child Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2016 .
Position: partner in couple with child Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2017 49.5
Position: partner in couple with child Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2018 51.0
Position: partner in couple with child Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2019 53.5
Position: partner in couple with child Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2020 60.2
Position: partner in couple with child Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2021 51.1
Background: Netherlands Value 2014 .
Background: Netherlands Value 2015 .
Background: Netherlands Value 2016 .
Background: Netherlands Value 2017 47.6
Background: Netherlands Value 2018 48.1
Background: Netherlands Value 2019 50.7
Background: Netherlands Value 2020 54.2
Background: Netherlands Value 2021 48.0
Background: Netherlands Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2014 .
Background: Netherlands Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2015 .
Background: Netherlands Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2016 .
Background: Netherlands Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2017 46.4
Background: Netherlands Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2018 47.0
Background: Netherlands Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2019 49.5
Background: Netherlands Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2020 53.0
Background: Netherlands Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2021 46.7
Background: Netherlands Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2014 .
Background: Netherlands Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2015 .
Background: Netherlands Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2016 .
Background: Netherlands Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2017 48.7
Background: Netherlands Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2018 49.3
Background: Netherlands Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2019 51.9
Background: Netherlands Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2020 55.5
Background: Netherlands Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2021 49.3
Background: western Value 2014 .
Background: western Value 2015 .
Background: western Value 2016 .
Background: western Value 2017 44.8
Background: western Value 2018 45.0
Background: western Value 2019 49.6
Background: western Value 2020 53.6
Background: western Value 2021 49.1
Background: western Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2014 .
Background: western Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2015 .
Background: western Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2016 .
Background: western Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2017 41.6
Background: western Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2018 41.8
Background: western Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2019 46.5
Background: western Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2020 50.3
Background: western Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2021 45.6
Background: western Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2014 .
Background: western Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2015 .
Background: western Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2016 .
Background: western Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2017 48.1
Background: western Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2018 48.2
Background: western Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2019 52.7
Background: western Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2020 57.0
Background: western Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2021 52.7
Background: 1st generation western Value 2014 .
Background: 1st generation western Value 2015 .
Background: 1st generation western Value 2016 .
Background: 1st generation western Value 2017 44.8
Background: 1st generation western Value 2018 46.1
Background: 1st generation western Value 2019 50.4
Background: 1st generation western Value 2020 55.4
Background: 1st generation western Value 2021 51.3
Background: 1st generation western Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2014 .
Background: 1st generation western Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2015 .
Background: 1st generation western Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2016 .
Background: 1st generation western Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2017 39.8
Background: 1st generation western Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2018 41.1
Background: 1st generation western Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2019 45.3
Background: 1st generation western Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2020 50.4
Background: 1st generation western Lower boundary 95% confidence interval 2021 45.8
Background: 1st generation western Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2014 .
Background: 1st generation western Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2015 .
Background: 1st generation western Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2016 .
Background: 1st generation western Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2017 49.8
Background: 1st generation western Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2018 51.2
Background: 1st generation western Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2019 55.5
Background: 1st generation western Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2020 60.3
Background: 1st generation western Upper boundary 95% confidence interval 2021 56.8
Background: 2nd generation western Value 2014 .
Background: 2nd generation western Value 2015 .
Background: 2nd generation western Value 2016 .
Background: 2nd generation western Value 2017 44.8
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Dataset is not available.


This table contains data on life style and on the (preventive) health examination of the Dutch population in private households. These data can be grouped by several personal characteristics.

Data available from: 2014-2021

Status of the data: final.

Changes by July 31, 2023
None, the table has been discontinued.

When will new data be published?
Not applicable anymore. This table has been replaced, see paragraph 3 for a link to the new table.

Description topics

Physical activity, 4 years or older
The questions on physical activities were asked to every person aged 4 years or older, and are based upon the so-called ‘Short Questionnaire to Assess Health Enhancing Physical Activity’ (SQUASH). This questionnaire aims to provide a complete view of a person’s physical activity. Frequencies and durations of the following physical activities were asked for:
1.  Commuting to work or school by cycle or on foot,
2.  Activities at work or in school,
3.  Housekeeping activities ,
4.  Walking, cycling, gardening and doing odd jobs in spare time,
5.  Practicing sports.
From 2017 onwards, Statistics Netherlands publishes the new physical activity guidelines (drawn up by the Dutch Health Council) for people aged 4 years or older.

In order to get a better understanding of the physical activity of young people of 12 years and older, questions relating to physical education were added to the questionnaire starting in 2019. This means that for all children, aged 12 or older attending secondary school, questions about sport and physical education and sport activities organized by school were added. For children from 4 till 12 years, these questions about physical education were already included in the questionnaire.
Because of this, data from 2019 onwards about complying physical activity guidelines are not comparable with data of 2016-2018, especially for young people from 12 years or older.
Physical activity guidelines
The physical activity guidelines were drawn up by the Dutch Health Council at the end of 2017. This new guideline replaces the Dutch Norm of Healthy Exercise, the norm for fitness and the combination norm. Adults should be physically active at moderate intensity for at least two and a half hours every week, spread over several days, such as walking and cycling. In addition, they should perform muscle- and bone-strengthening activities at least twice a week. Young people from 4 to 17 years old should be physically active at moderate intensity for at least one hour every day, and they should perform muscle- and bone-strengthening activities at least three times a week.
An explanatory note has been published about the 2020 figures on this subject, see table explanation.
Comply with physical activity guidelines
Percentage of people of 4 years or older who comply with the physical activity guidelines. Adults should be physically active at moderate intensity for at least two and a half hours every week, spread over several days, such as walking and cycling. In addition, they should perform muscle- and bone-strengthening activities at least twice a week. Young people from 4 to 17 years old should be physically active at moderate intensity for at least one hour every day, and they should perform muscle- and bone-strengthening activities at least three times a week.

In order to get a better understanding of the physical activity of young people of 12 years and older, questions relating to physical education were added to the questionnaire starting in 2019. This means that for all children, aged 12 or older attending secondary school, questions about sport and physical education and sport activities organized by school were added. For children from 4 till 12 years, these questions about physical education were already included in the questionnaire.
Because of this, data from 2019 onwards about complying physical activity guidelines are not comparable with data of 2016-2018, especially for young people from 12 years or older.