Well-being ‘later’: Natural capital
Natural capital concerns the natural resources that are used by people, society and the economy. They include soil, water and air, as well as the associated ecosystems and the flora and fauna that they support. Nature contributes to well-being in all sorts of ways, including health and wellness, food production and recreation.
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Biodiversity on land is in decline, but in freshwater and marshlands it is increasing.
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Pollution due to excess nitrogen is very high and not falling.
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The quality of surface water is low.
Natural capital
in EU
in 2024
in EU
in 2023
in EU
in 2023
in EU
in 2023
in EU
in 2024
in EU
in 2023
| Theme | Indicator | Value | Trend | Position in EU | Position in EU ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural capital | Renewable electricity capacity | 2,079.2 megawatts electrical power per million population in 2025 | increasing (increase well-being) | 6th out of 26 in 2024 | High ranking |
| Natural capital | Managed natural assets (terrestrial) within NNN | 21.2% of total land area on 31 December in 2024 | increasing (increase well-being) | ||
| Natural capital | Green-blue space, excluding conventional farming | 953.7 m2 green space and freshwater area per capita in 2024 | decreasing (decrease well-being) | ||
| Natural capital | Phosphorus surplus | 4 kg phosphorus per hectare utilised agricultural area in 2024 | 4th out of 18 in 2023 | High ranking | |
| Natural capital | Nitrogen surplus | 164 kg nitrogen per hectare utilised agricultural area in 2024 | 18th out of 18 in 2023 | Low ranking | |
| Natural capital | Fauna on land | 69 index (trend 1990=100) in 2024 | decreasing (decrease well-being) | ||
| Natural capital | Fauna in freshwater and marshes | 159 index (trend 1990=100) in 2024 | increasing (increase well-being) | ||
| Natural capital | Surface water with sufficient chemical quality | 0.5% of the area protected surface water in 2025 | |||
| Natural capital | Ground water abstraction | 50 m3 per capita in 2024 | decreasing (increase well-being) | 5th out of 16 in 2023 | Middle ranking |
| Natural capital | Urban exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) | 8.2 microgram PM2.5 per m3 in 2024 | decreasing (increase well-being) | 10th out of 27 in 2024 | Middle ranking |
| Natural capital | Cumulative CO2 emissions A) | 7.6 tonnes CO2 per capita since 1860 in 2025 | 13th out of 16 in 2023 | Low ranking |
Colour codes and notes to the dashboards in the Monitor of Well-being
Well-being ‘later’ focuses on the sustainability of our quality of life by measuring the resources that people living in the Netherlands today (the current generation) require for their well-being, and which will also be needed by future generations. People use resources ‘here and now’ to shape their lives. Green living environments provide recreational opportunities for people while also offering fresh air, tranquillity and natural beauty. If our natural capital is depleted – particularly if this occurs on a global scale – the foundation of human life will be at risk.
The amount of green-blue space per inhabitant is gradually decreasing in the Netherlands. Although the total amount of green-blue space is increasing, the population is growing faster. In 2024, the average amount of green-blue space per inhabitant was 953.7 square metres. Meanwhile, the total area covered by managed nature reserves is growing. The Netherlands Nature Network (NNN) includes both existing and planned land nature reserves in the Netherlands. In 2024, NNN areas accounted for 21.2 percent of the total land area of the country.
Biodiversity on land is declining. The populations or distribution (depending on the species) of native land fauna are falling. Since 1990, the land fauna index has declined by 31 percent. Bird populations are also trending downwards. Farmland bird populations are declining (SDG15), for instance, having fallen by 45 percent since 1995. This points to a significant deterioration in living conditions for birds. Bird populations in urban areas are also declining (SDG11.2). The proportion of animal species not under threat is gradually rising (SDG15). Since 1990, biodiversity in freshwater and marshlands has increased by 59 percent. There are various reasons for this improvement, and they vary from one species to another (SDG6).
The nitrogen surplus has been more or less stable since 2008, hovering at around 160 kilograms per hectare of cultivated land. Phosphorus and nitrogen surpluses have negative consequences for the quality of surface water and ecosystems such as heathland, forests and dunes. Excess nitrogen in soil leads to declines in the biodiversity of plant and animal species, increasing the risk of vulnerable species disappearing. In 2023, the nitrogen surplus in the Netherlands was more than double that Italy, which ranks second-to-last among the 19 EU countries for which data is available. Nitrogen deposition in terrestrial nature is gradually decreasing. In 2023, almost 70 percent of terrestrial nature was affected by excess nitrogen (SDG15).
The quality of surface water is low. In 2025, only 0.5 percent of the area of fresh surface water met the chemical quality standard and 3 percent was of good biological quality (SDG6). Seawater quality is also low compared to other EU countries (SDG14). Groundwater and fresh surface water extraction are decreasing. In 2024, per capita extraction levels were 50 m3 for groundwater and 346 m3 for fresh surface water – the lowest levels recorded this century. The total quantity of groundwater extracted correlates closely with weather conditions. In 2024, total freshwater extraction accounted for 15.3 percent of total available freshwater sources (SDG6).
Air quality is improving. Urban exposure to particulate matter (particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres in diameter, also known as PM2.5) is decreasing. Despite a downward trend, levels of substances that cause acidification (sulphur oxide, nitrogen oxide and ammonia) have been stable since 2020 (SDG11.2).
Cumulative carbon dioxide emissions are high compared to other EU countries (13th out of 16 countries in 2023). Since 1860, an average of 7.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide has been emitted per inhabitant per year. This provides an indication of the proportion of global historical carbon dioxide emissions attributable to the Netherlands. While annual greenhouse gas emissions are trending downwards overall, there was an increase in 2025 compared to 2024. The greenhouse gas intensity of the economy is decreasing and is relatively low (7th in the EU-27 in 2024). In recent years, there has been a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions against a backdrop of economic growth. Although emissions increased again in 2025, this increase was smaller than the rate of economic growth, meaning that the decline in greenhouse gas intensity actually continued (SDG13).
In terms of installed renewable energy capacity, the Netherlands rose from 22nd to 6th place in the EU ranking between 2017 and 2024. Wind, water and solar capacity has grown significantly in recent years. The rate of capacity expansion in 2024-2025 was much slower than in previous years, however. Despite trending downwards, the Netherlands’ gross national energy consumption per capita is still higher than in most other EU countries (23rd out of 27 in 2024). Renewable energy accounts for a growing percentage of this consumption (20.2 percent in 2024) (SDG7).