Well-being ‘here and now’: housing
Housing concerns people’s living situation. A home provides shelter, safety, privacy and personal space. A good and affordable home in a pleasant neighbourhood with access to different services contributes to people’s quality of life.
- Finding an affordable home remains difficult and a growing share of younger adults still live with their parents.
- Households are spending a lower share of their income on housing costs.
- People in the Netherlands are, nonetheless, satisfied with their living environment and their home.
Housing
in EU
in 2024
in EU
in 2025
in EU
in 2017
| Theme | Indicator | Value | Trend | Position in EU | Position in EU ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | Median housing costs (rented and own homes) | 20.1% of disposable household income in 2024 | decreasing (increase well-being) | 21st out of 27 in 2024 | Low ranking |
| Housing | Young adults (25-29 years) living with parents | 21.8% live with parent(s), on 1 January in 2025 | increasing (decrease well-being) | 3rd out of 13 in 2025 | High ranking |
| Housing | Satisfaction with housing | 86.5% of the population over 18 are satisfied or very satisfied in 2025 | 8th out of 27 in 2017 | Middle ranking |
Colour codes and notes to the dashboards in the Monitor of Well-being
The majority of people in the Netherlands are satisfied with their home; in 2025, this was true of 86.5 percent. This means that 13.5 percent were either dissatisfied or less than fully satisfied. In 2024, 30 out of every 10 thousand people aged 18 to 64 had no housing SDG 11.1.
The tightness in the Netherlands’ housing market makes it difficult to find affordable accommodation (SDG 11.1). While the housing stock is growing, demand continues to outpace supply: ABF Research estimates that the housing shortage in 2025 was almost 400 thousand homes, equating to 4.8 percent of the housing stock. Buying or renting a home is becoming increasingly expensive. This makes it difficult for young adults entering the housing market to find housing, as reflected by the growing proportion of people aged 25 to 29 still living with their parents. On 1 January 2025, this was the case for 21.8 percent of young adults in this age bracket. Even so, this figure is still relatively low compared to other EU countries (3rd out of 13 member states in 2025).
Housing is becoming more affordable for those who already have it, and households are spending an ever smaller proportion of their income on total housing costs. In 2024, the median Dutch household spent 20.1 percent of disposable income on housing. This is high compared to other EU countries (21st out of 27).
People in the Netherlands are generally satisfied with their living environment SDG 11.2. In 2025, 85.3 percent of adults were either satisfied or very satisfied. The living environment is also getting cleaner. Emissions of substances that cause acidification and urban exposure to particulate matter are decreasing. Meanwhile, noise pollution from neighbours or traffic is no longer increasing, although the share of the population affected by this (26.8 percent in 2025) remains high compared to other EU countries. The percentage of people who often feel unsafe in their own neighbourhood is rising (2.5 percent in 2025).