Well-being ‘here and now’: health
Health concerns both being and feeling healthy, and relates to physical, mental and social welfare. Good health has intrinsic value for people; it enables them to manage their own lives and increases their chances of participating actively and equally in society.
- People in the Netherlands have reduced their consumption of alcohol in recent decades, and also smoke less.
- The healthy life expectancy of women is low compared with men and with women in the rest of the EU.
Health
in EU
in 2023
in EU
in 2023
in EU
in 2019
| Theme | Indicator | Value | Trend | Position in EU | Position in EU ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health | Healthy life expectancy of men A) | 64.1 years at birth in 2025 | 17th out of 26 in 2023 | Middle ranking | |
| Health | Healthy life expectancy of women A) | 62.0 years at birth in 2025 | 23rd out of 26 in 2023 | Low ranking | |
| Health | Overweight adult population | 50.6% of the population over 18 in 2025 | 5th out of 26 in 2019 | High ranking |
Colour codes and notes to the dashboards in the Monitor of Well-being
Residents of the Netherlands aged 15 and over consume little alcohol compared to residents of other EU countries. Compared with 16 other EU countries, average alcohol consumption was only lower in Sweden and Finland in 2023. Alcohol consumption has been on a downward trajectory in the 21st century. This is also true for the percentage of smokers of tobacco products. While the use of electronic cigarettes increased between 2021 and 2023, it declined again in 2025. The proportion of vapers is higher among adolescents and young adults (people between the ages of 15 and 24). In 2025, about half the adult population was overweight. This figure has been stable for a number of years.
Despite their relatively healthy lifestyles, men’s healthy life expectancy is neither high nor low compared to the rest of the EU, whereas women’s is low. The healthy life expectancy of women is also lower compared with that of men in the Netherlands. Women live longer than men on average, but they spend a greater share of their lives in poorer health. In 2025, the healthy life expectancy was 64.1 years for men and 62 years for women. In the European figures for the expectancy of life without limitations, the Netherlands was in the middle of the EU ranking for men (17th out of 26) but nearly at the bottom for women (23th out of 26).
In 2025, nearly 77 percent of the Dutch population described their health as good or very good (SDG3). This means that more than four million people in the Netherlands regard their health as less than good. In 2025, 4.5 percent of the population faced serious limitations in their daily functioning due to long-term health problems. Although this figure is low compared to other EU countries (4th out of 13 countries), it is no longer decreasing. The share of the population that experiences feelings of anxiety and depression has stabilised.