Resilience 'later'
A major shock could affect the well-being of future generations. A deterioration in the natural environment or in social cohesion, or a weakening of the economic infrastructure, could render our society unable to withstand such shocks. This would make it difficult for future generations to achieve the same level of well-being that we currently enjoy.
- Dutch society became less resilient in 2025.
- The Dutch economy seems robust.
Robustness of the biosphere
in EU
in 2024
Robustness of society
in EU
in 2023
in EU
in 2023
in EU
in 2023
Robustness of the economy
in EU
in 2024
in EU
in 2024
in EU
in 2024
in EU
in 2024
| Theme | Indicator | Value | Trend | Position in EU | Position in EU ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robustness of the biosphere | Green-blue space, excluding conventional farming | 953.7 m2 green space and freshwater area per capita in 2024 | decreasing (decrease well-being) | ||
| Robustness of the biosphere | Nitrogen deposition and terrestrial nature areas | 69.9% of terrestrial nature areas suffer from critical load exceedance in 2023 | decreasing (increase well-being) | ||
| Robustness of the biosphere | Renewable energy | 20.2% of total final energy consumption in 2024 | increasing (increase well-being) | 18th out of 27 in 2024 | Middle ranking |
| Robustness of society | Trust in other people | 63.3% of the population over 15 thinking most people can be trusted in 2025 | 2nd out of 19 in 2023 | High ranking | |
| Robustness of society | Feelings of discrimination | 12.0% of the population over 15 say they are discriminated against in 2023 | 18th out of 19 in 2023 | Low ranking | |
| Robustness of society | Trust in institutions | 60.6% of the population over 15 answered “very high“ or “fairly high“ in 2025 | 3rd out of 19 in 2023 | High ranking | |
| Robustness of society | Social cohesion in the neighbourhood | 6.5 score on scale 0-10 in 2025 | |||
| Robustness of the economy | Physical capital stock | € 169 per hour worked (2021 prices) in 2024 | 7th out of 12 in 2024 | Middle ranking | |
| Robustness of the economy | Knowledge capital stock | € 11.62 per hour worked (2021 prices) in 2024 | 5th out of 13 in 2024 | Middle ranking | |
| Robustness of the economy | Gross labour participation | 76.2% of the population 15-74 in 2025 | increasing (increase well-being) | 1st out of 27 in 2024 | High ranking |
| Robustness of the economy | Level of education achieved: HBO, university | 38.2% of 15-74 year-olds have succesfully completed tertiary education in 2025 | increasing (increase well-being) | 7th out of 27 in 2024 | High ranking |
| Robustness of the economy | Median solvency non-financial businesses | 63% of total assets consists of equity in 2024 | increasing (increase well-being) |
Colour codes and notes to the dashboards in the Monitor of Well-being
The well-being of future generations depends on the resources that are passed on to them by current generations. The question is whether the major systems that make our current level of well-being possible – the biosphere, society and the economy – are robust enough to absorb major internal or external shocks.
The quantity of terrestrial nature affected by excess nitrogen has been gradually falling since measurements began, falling from 74.6 percent in 1995 to 69.9 percent in 2023. Meanwhile, the share of renewable energy in gross national energy consumption has grown significantly, roughly tripling in size between 2017 and 2024. This means that we are becoming less reliant on fossil fuels to meet our energy needs. The amount of green-blue space per inhabitant is gradually decreasing, mainly due to population growth.
Social cohesion in the Netherlands has deteriorated in recent years, resulting in a less resilient society. Trust in other people has stopped trending upwards, and trust in other people and institutions was lower in 2025 than in 2024. However, trust was still relatively high compared to other EU countries as recently as 2023. Social cohesion in residential neighbourhoods has also declined recently (between 2023 and 2025). A relatively large number of people in the Netherlands feel discriminated against. In 2023, 12 percent of the population aged 15 and over (more than 1.8 million people) identified as belonging to a group that suffers from discrimination. This was the second-highest level in the EU (18th out of 19 countries).
The Dutch economy appears to be robust. Gross labour participation, the share of people with a higher education degree and the median solvency of non-financial companies are all increasing. In 2024, gross labour participation was higher than in any other EU country. Despite a decline in 2024, the physical capital stock per hour worked is stable, and the intellectual capital stock per hour worked is no longer declining. The stocks of physical and intellectual capital per hour worked measure the capital intensity of production. This capital intensity is the value of the available means of production relative to the amount of labour employed. Looking back further than the trend period (2018 to 2025), capital intensity is gradually falling. The physical capital stock rose to 177 euros per hour worked (2021 prices) from the start of the time series in 1995 up until 2013, but has since gradually fallen back to 169 euros in 2024. Between 1995 and 2015, the intellectual capital stock increased from 7.14 euros to 12.97 euros per hour worked. From 2015, it declined slightly to 11.62 euros in 2024. But although the value of these stocks is steadily increasing in absolute terms (adjusted for inflation), the number of hours worked is rising faster. The Netherlands is one of the few countries where the intellectual capital stock per hour worked is falling rather than rising.