Life satisfaction (0–10)
⌇ 2012: Survey moved from POLS to Sociale Samenhang en Welzijn — CBS calls the figures not directly comparable and bridges them with a time-series model · ⌇ 2021: Survey transition; Eurostat series consistent throughout
Peer lines share one grey on purpose: hover for countries. The compared series can differ slightly from the Dutch definition above.
Countries are ordered by value, highest first — rank 1 means the highest number, not “the best”. A year is ranked only when all 8 countries report it; missing years stay gaps. The EU average is not a country and is not ranked.
Known criticisms of this statistic
Every statistic embodies method choices, and the substantive critiques of those choices are part of understanding the number. These are documented positions — each linked to who makes it. Listing a criticism is not endorsing it; we take no side.
CBS documents that figures before 2012 come from a different survey (POLS) and are 'not comparable' with the modern series; the long run is stitched together with a statistical time-series model rather than directly comparable observations (marked on the chart).
— CBS (its own survey documentation) · CBS: onderzoeksomschrijving Sociale samenhang en welzijn
Peer-reviewed research documents 'scale norming': people use the 0–10 scale differently across time and between groups — someone whose life improves can keep giving the same number. Small movements in average life satisfaction are therefore hard to interpret.
— Fabian, Journal of Happiness Studies, 2022 · Fabian: Scale norming undermines the use of life satisfaction scale data
Source & method
| Source | CBS 84572NED · CBS ilc_pw01 |
|---|---|
| Licence | CC BY 4.0 (CBS) |
| Trend method | OLS over last 8 annual observations, 5% significance (MBW convention) |
| Revisions | None recorded since 2026-07-07. Every retrieval is stored append-only; when the source restates history, the old and new values become comparable here. |
Raw snapshot (JSON) · every observation keeps its retrieval timestamp and revision history in the public database.
Data table — Life satisfaction (Netherlands)
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 7.6 |
| 2024 | 7.6 |
| 2023 | 7.6 |
| 2022 | 7.7 |
| 2021 | 7.7 |
| 2018 | 7.7 |
| 2013 | 7.8 |