Well-being ‘here and now’: society
Society concerns social relations and civic participation. Social networks provide support and contribute to quality of life. A society in which everyone can participate and in which people can trust one another and trust the government and other institutions is also important.
- Trust in other people and in institutions declined in 2025.
- Social contact, participation in volunteer work and informal help also declined in 2025.
- One in five adults believe that norms and standards are moving in the right direction or not changing at all.
Society
in EU
in 2023
in EU
in 2024
in EU
in 2023
in EU
in 2023
| Theme | Indicator | Value | Trend | Position in EU | Position in EU ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Society | Contact with family, friends or neighbours | 70.9% have contact for social reasons at least once a week in 2025 | 2nd out of 19 in 2023 | High ranking | |
| Society | Voice and accountability | 1.65 score on a scale of -2.5 (weak) to 2.5 (strong) in 2024 | 5th out of 27 in 2024 | High ranking | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Society | Changes in values and norms | 20.7% of the population over 18 say norms and values are the same or better in 2025 | |||
| Society | Voluntary work | 47.0% of the population over 15 do organised voluntary work in 2025 |
Colour codes and notes to the dashboards in the Monitor of Well-being
Social contacts and participation in society through volunteer work and informal assistance decreased in 2025. The proportion of the population that had contact with family, friends or neighbours at least once a week also decreased. In 2025, 70.9 percent of people in the Netherlands saw, spoke to or messaged family members, friends or neighbours at least once a week for social reasons. This is down from 72 percent in 2024. In 2023, the proportion of people who had contact with family, friends or colleagues for social reasons was higher than in other European countries. Only Portugal reported a higher figure.
The proportion of people (aged 15 and over) who do volunteer work or provide informal assistance at least once a week decreased in 2025 (SDG 10.1). In 2025, 47 percent of the population did organised volunteer work, compared to 49.5 percent in 2024. The share of people providing unpaid (informal) assistance to others outside their own household fell from 36.1 percent in 2024 to 34.1 percent in 2025. Until 2024, the percentage of informal assistance was on an upward trend.
Trust in other people and institutions declined in 2025. Over 63 percent of the population aged 15 and over trusted other people, down from 66 percent in 2024. This decline ended an upward trend. In 2023, trust in other people was high compared to other EU countries. The Netherlands ranked second out of 19 member states, behind only Finland.
Between 2024 and 2025, trust in institutions (police, the judiciary and the House of Representatives) decreased by 2.3 percentage points to 60.6 percent. During the pandemic, trust in institutions fluctuated considerably. In the first years of the pandemic, levels of trust were exceptionally high, but by 2025 they had dropped below pre-pandemic levels. Trust in institutions varies depending on the institution in question. Trust in the judiciary is rising: in 2025, 78.2 percent of the population aged 15 and over had very high or fairly high confidence in the judiciary. Trust in the police is no longer rising (SDG 16.1). Until 2024, trust in the police was on an upward trend. Trust in the Dutch House of Representatives is trending downwards again. In 2025, 24.6 percent of the population aged 15 and over trusted the House of Representatives, down from 31.3 percent in 2024. This is the lowest figure since the series began in 2012 (SDG 16.2).
A relatively large number of people in the Netherlands feel discriminated against, and only one in five think that norms and values are moving in the right direction or have remained unchanged. In 2023, 12 percent of the population aged 15 and over identified as belonging to a group that is discriminated against (SDG 10.1). This was approximately the same as in 2020 and the second highest percentage of the 19 EU members states that can be compared on this measure. In 2025, approximately 20.7 percent of adults felt that norms and values were either stable or moving in the right direction. Norms are standard rules of behaviour and expectations, and often stem from people’s values and beliefs. Shared norms and values bind people together and promote social cohesion.
Compared to other EU countries, the quality of public institutions is high in the Netherlands. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of public administration and the perceived integrity of the public sector are declining (SDG 16.2).