Health, lifestyle, health care use and supply, causes of death; key figures
Explanation of symbols
Table explanation
This table provides an overview of the key figures on health and care available on StatLine. All figures are taken from other tables on StatLine, either directly or through a simple conversion. In the original tables, breakdowns by characteristics of individuals or other variables are possible.
The period after the year of review before data become available differs between the data series.
The number of exam passes/graduates in year t is the number of persons who obtained a diploma in school/study year starting in t-1 and ending in t.
Data available from: 2001
Status of the figures:
2024:
The available figures are definite.
2023:
Most available figures are definite
Figures are provisional for:
- perinatal mortality at pregnancy duration at least 24 weeks;
- diagnoses known to the general practitioner;
- supplied drugs;
- AWBZ/Wlz-funded long term care;
- persons employed in health and welfare;
- persons employed in healthcare;
- Mbo health care graduates;
- Hbo nursing graduates / medicine graduates (university);
- expenditures on health and welfare;
- average distance to facilities.
2022:
Most available figures are definite, figures are provisional for:
- hospital admissions by some diagnoses;
- physicians and nurses employed in care;
- persons employed in health and welfare;
- persons employed in healthcare;
- expenditures on health and welfare;
- profitability and operating results at institutions.
2021:
Most available figures are definite, figures are provisional for:
- expenditures on health and welfare.
2020 and earlier:
All available figures are definite.
Changes as of 18 december 2024:
- Distance to facilities: the figures withdrawn on 5 June have been replaced (unchanged).
- Youth care: the previously published final results for 2021 and 2022 have been adjusted due to improvements in the processing.
- Due to a revision of the statistics Expenditure on health and welfare 2021, figures for expenditure on health and welfare care have been replaced from 2021 onwards.
- Due to the revision of the National Accounts, the figures on persons employed in health and welfare have been replaced for all years.
- AWBZ/Wlz-funded long term care: from 2015, the series Wlz residential care including total package at home has been replaced by total Wlz care. This series fits better with the chosen demarcation of indications for Wlz care.
More recent figures have been added for:
- crude birth rate;
- live births to teenage mothers;
- causes of death;
- perinatal mortality at pregnancy duration at least 24 weeks;
- life expectancy in perceived good health;
- diagnoses known to the general practitioner;
- supplied drugs;
- AWBZ/Wlz-funded long term care;
- youth care;
- persons employed in health and welfare;
- persons employed in healthcare;
- expenditures on health and welfare;
- average distance to facilities.
When will new figures be published?
New figures will be published in July 2025.
Description topics
- Births, deaths and life expectancy
- Crude birth rate, the number of live births to teenage mothers and older mothers, some causes of death, perinatal mortality, life expectancy and healthy life expectancy.
- Crude birth rate
- Live born children per thousand of the average population.
- Live births to teenage mothers
- Live born children to mothers younger than 20 years at the infant's birth.
Mother’s age (exact):
The number of whole years that have passed since the mother's date of birth.
Live born child:
A baby showing some sign of life after birth, regardless of the duration of pregnancy.
- Live births to 40+ mothers
- Live born children to mothers aged 40 years or older at the infant's birth.
Mother’s age (exact):
The number of whole years that have passed since the mother's date of birth.
Live born child:
A baby showing some sign of life after birth, regardless of the duration of pregnancy.
- Some causes of death
- Deaths by main primary cause of death per 10 000 of the average population.
In addition to relative figures for road traffic accidents and suicides, absolute numbers are also presented.
The basis for the classification and coding used for mortality by cause of death is the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD; World Health Organisation (WHO)), version 10.
Average population
The average population in agegroup L for year t is calculated as follows:
((Population in agegroup (L) on January 1st year t)+
(Population in agegroup (L) on January 1st year t+1))/2.
The calculation of the average of children at the age of zero years differs from this definition and has been calculated as follows:
((live births in year t)+(children aged zero years on 1 January of year t+1))/2.- All causes of death
- Total of all causes of death.
ICD-codes:
ICD-10: A00-Y89;
ICD-9: 001-E999;
ICD-8: 000-E999.
- Malignant neoplasms
- Malignant neoplasms, cancer.
ICD-codes:
ICD-10: C00-C97;
ICD-9: 140-208;
ICD-8: 140-209.
- Diseases of the circulatory system
- Diseases of the circulatory system.
ICD-codes:
ICD-10: I00-I99;
ICD-9: 390-459;
ICD-8: 390-458.
- Road accidents
- Road accidents.
ICD-codes:
ICD-10: See table explanation for a link to the complete list of 4-digit codes.
ICD-9: E810-E819, E826-E829;
ICD-8: E810-E819, E825-E827, E940-E941
- Suicide and self-inflicted injury
- Suicide and self-inflicted injury.
ICD-codes:
ICD-10: X60-X84;
ICD-9: E950-E959;
ICD-8: E950-E959.
- COVID-19, total of virus identified and virus not identified
ICD-codes:
ICD-10: U07.1 and U07.2
- Life expectancy
- The number of years someone of a certain age is expected to live, assuming the mortality risk remains the same.
- At birth, men
- At birth, women
- Life expectancy in perceived good health
- The number of years a person can expect to live in perceived good health, assuming the mortality risk and risks for good/poor health remain the same.
People are considered healthy when answering 'good' or 'very good' to the CBS Health Survey question 'How is your health in general?' .- At birth, men
- At birth, women
- Health and disease
- Perceived health, contacts with the GP and hospital admissions for some diagnoses, sickness absence
- Self-perceived health less than good
- People answering 'moderate', 'poor' and 'very poor' to the question 'Generally speaking, how is your health?'. Other possible answers are 'good' or 'very good'.
- At the general practitioner known with
- Individuals with one or more disease episodes as registered by the general practitioner, for several diagnostic groups.
The diagnoses are coded according to the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC-1).- Cardiovascular complaints or diseases
- The total of symptoms, complaints and diseases of the cardiovasular system.
ICPC-1 codes: K01-K29, K70-K99
- Hospital admissions by some diagnoses
- Clinical and day care admissions and observations without overnight stay in general and university hospitals and two hospitals specialising in one type of disease.
Diagnoses are recorded according to the 'International Classification of Diseases'. Up to 2013 version 9 was used (ICD-9-CM), From 2013 onwards version 10 (ICD-10) is used.
Diagnoses are classified according to the International Shortlist for Hospital Morbidity Tabulation (ISHMT). Categories are definied slightly different using ICD-9 (up to 2013) or ICD-10 (from 2013).
Figures on diagnoses refer to the principal diagnosis registered at each admission, as indicated at discharge form the hospital.
The figures are expressed per 10 000 of the population in the year under review.- Malignant neoplasms
- Malignant neoplasms, cancer.
ICD-codes:
ICD-9: 140-208
ICD-10: C00-C97.
- Diseases of the circulatory system
- Diseases of the circulatory system.
ICD-codes:
ICD-9: 390-434, 436-445, 447-459
ICD-10: I00-I99.
- Sickness absence
- Sickness absence rate.
The number of days employees are absent because of illness (excluding maternity leave) as a percentage of the total number of working or calendar days.
- Use of health care services
- Average period of hospitalisation, supplied drugs, number of contacts with health care providers, AWBZ/Wlz- funded long term care, including persons older than 80 in the population, youth care.
- Average period of hospitalisation
- Number of nursing days in a given period divided by the number of patients admitted.
- Individuals with supplied drugs
- The number of persons prescribed drugs that are reimbursed under compulsory health care insurance, expressed as a percentage of the total population. The total population consists of all people registered in the municipal population register (GBA) in the year under review.
Based on article codes, the drugs are classified by ATC class (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification system). In this WHO (World Health Organization) classification, drugs are divided into different groups according to the organ or system which they affect and/or their therapeutic and chemical characteristics.- Some groups of drugs
- Diabetes drugs
- ATC-code: A10.
- Antidepressants
- ATC-code: N06A.
- Contacts with health professionals
- Number of contacts with general practitioners and physiotherapists/exercise therapist in the 12 months preceding the survey date.
Due to changes in methodology and questionnaire, data before and after 2010 cannot fully be compared.- General practitioner (GP)
- Contacts with a GP in the Netherlands:
- visits to a GP,
- GP home visits,
- telephone consultations,
- other contacts
Includes contacts with locums and emergency GP service; excludes contacts with GP surgery assistant/nurse.
Due to changes in methodology of the health interview questionniare in 2014, figures before and after are not completely comparable
- AWBZ/Wlz-funded long term care
Residential care funded under the Exceptional Medical Expenses Act (AWBZ, before 2015), and care funded under the Chronic Care Act (Wlz, starting 2015).- Persons aged 80 or older
- The population aged 80 or older on 1 January of the year under review, as registered in the municipal population register (BRP).
- Indications AWBZ-residential or Wlz care
- The number of persons who have an indication for residential care financed by the General Act on Exceptional Medical Expenses (AWBZ, before 2015), or Long-Term Care Act (Wlz, starting 2015) on the reference date.
This concerns only persons who are registered in the population registry on the reference date.
The reference date is the second Friday in November.
Indication
The right to a certain type and amount of care as determined by the Centre for Healthcare Indication (Centrum Indicatiestelling Zorg (CIZ).- Total indications AWBZ-res. or Wlz care
- Total of persons with an indications AWBZ-residential or Wlz care
Basis of indication
Reason why someone cannot perform certain activities independently and needs help to do so. A basis of indication must be present in order to be eligible for care financed by the General Act on Exceptional Medical Expenses (AWBZ) or Long-Term Care Act (Wlz). The basis of indication is determined independently by the Centre for Healthcare Indication (Centrum Indicatiestelling Zorg, CIZ).
- Psychogeriatric disorder
- Persons with an indication for residential care based on a psychogeriatric disorder
Psychogeriatric disorder
Disease or disorder in or of the brain (partly) as a result of old age. This condition is often accompanied by impairment of the thinking ability, emotional life, intellect and memory. Sometimes there is also a decrease in motor functions and a decrease in social self-reliance.
- Youth care
- Persons up to the age of 18 who have made use of youth assistance, youth protection or juvenile rehabilitation at any time during the reporting period. In exceptional cases, the help or care is continued until the age of 23.
- Total of youth care (0 to 23 year)
- The total of youth assistance, youth protection and juvenile rehabilitation provided under the responsibility of the municipality in accordance with the Child and Youth Act.
As of 2021, there has been a significant increase in the reporting population of youth assistence providers. As a result, the number of young people with youth assistence increased by 7 percent. As a result, the results for the years 2021 and later cannot be properly compared with the results for the years 2015 to 2020.
- Youth assistence (0 to 23 year)
- Assistance and care as referred to and defined in the Child and Youth Act. It concerns assistance and care to young people and their parents in case of psychological, psychosocial or behavioural problems, a mental disability of the young person or parenting problems. The assistance and care is aimed at young people until the age of 18 and it can be extended until the age of 23. When a young person sleeps at the youth care provider, foster family or family house, it is called residential youth assistance.
As of 2021, there has been a significant increase in the reporting population of youth assistence providers. As a result, the number of young people with youth assistence increased by 7 percent. As a result, the results for the years 2021 and later cannot be properly compared with the results for the years 2015 to 2020.
- Determinants of health
- Determinants of health: factors influencing health.
Data on smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise, obesity and high blood pressure, derived from the CBS Health Survey.- Smoking behaviour (12 years or older)
- Data on smoking behaviour refer to persons of age 12 years and over.
- Heavy smokers
- Percentage of persons in the population who smoke 20 cigarettes a day or more.
- Heavy drinkers (12 years or older)
- Percentage of persons in the population aged 12 years or older who are heavy drinkers. Up to 2012 the definition of a heavy drinker was a person that drinks at least 6 glasses of alcohol on one day at least once a week. From 2012 onwards there is a distinction between men and women. For men still goes that a heavy drinker is a person who drinks at least 6 glasses of alcohol on one day at least once a week. For women goes that a heavy drinker is a person who drinks at least 4 glasses of alcohol on one day at least once a week. Due to this change in definition the figures of before 2012 and from 2012 onwards cannot be compared very well.
- Overweight
- The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a frequently used measure to determine whether a person is underweight or overweight. It is calculated by dividing a person's weight (in kilograms) by their height (in metres) squared, based on self-reported measures. For children under 12 years of age, weight and height are reported by the parents. Adults with a BMI of 25 kg/m² or more are overweight, with a BMI of 30 kg/m² or more seriously overweight (obese). For children, age-specific cut-off points are used.
Data on respondents with unknown weight or height and respondents with an improbable weight for their height are not used. Until 2013, date were excluded for persons aged 20 years or older with a BMI lower than 14 or higher than 45 kg/m² and persons younger than 20 years with a BMI lower than 10 or higher than 45 kg/m². From 2014, for both age groups the upper limit of BMI has been increased to 50 kg/m², whereas the lower limit has not been changed.
Due to changes in methodology of the health interview questionniare in 2014, figures before and after are not completely comparable.- Seriously overweight (obese) (20+)
- Percentage of persons in the population aged 20 years or older with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30.0 kg/m² or higher.
- Education and labour market
- Physicians employed in care
- Qualified medically trained physicians and medical specialists registered in the BIG register (the Dutch central register of specific health care professions), who are employed in the Dutch care sector; resident in the Netherlands or abroad.
Dutch care sector
Organisations with a code in the Statistics Netherlands' Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities (SBI) starting with 85 (SBI 1993) or 86, 87 or 88 (SBI 2008).
- Nurses employed in care
- Qualified nurses registered in the BIG register (the Dutch central register of specific health care professions), who are employed in the Dutch care sector; resident in the Netherlands or abroad.
Dutch care sector
Organisations with a code in the Statistics Netherlands' Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities (SBI) starting with 85 (SBI 1993) or 86, 87 or 88 (SBI 2008).
- Employed in health and welfare
- Persons employed in a Netherlands-based company or a private household in the Netherlands, with main activities in health care and welfare.
This sector includes:
- treatment in general and specialised hospitals;
- mental health and addiction care, possibly in combination with overnight admission;
- treatment at medical and paramedical practices;
- support activities for health care, e.g. laboratories and ambulance services;
- nursing care or assistance with housing by, e.g. nursing homes or organisations for assisted living schemes;
- welfare care, such as home care, local welfare and assistance to disabled and elderly persons;
- childcare.
- Mbo nursing graduates
- Graduates of senior secondary vocational education (mbo) with a qualification to become a nurse
- Hbo nursing graduates
- Graduates form higher professional education (hbo) with a bachelor's degree in nursing.
- Medicine graduates (university)
- Persons with a university masters degree in medicine.
- Health and social care expenditure
- Expenditure on medical care, long-term care, welfare and social services, youth care and child care. Care includes provision of services and goods. Expenditure includes care provided to non-residents by Dutch care providers. As it concerns final use expenditure, industry and wholesale figures do not count, as these sectors do not supply their products directly to consumers/patients. Also, expenditure on cross-supplies between care providers does not count. Care expenditure expressed in actual prices indicates expenditure in prices of the year under review and reflects value trends. It refers to expenditure on care goods and services by all institutions, practices and organisations providing those goods and services; providers for whom it is not their main work also count.
These figures refer to a broader definition than internationally used in the System of Health Accounts, that refers to health care including long term nursing care (health).
Due to the revision of the 2021 Health and social care expenditure statistics, figures for 2021-2023 are not easily comparable with previous years.- Expenditure by type of provider
- Providers of preventive, long-term and emergency medical care and research related to maintain and restore personal health. Also includes supply of medication, medical aids and auxiliary services.
This category includes providers outside the 'Human health and social work' section in the SIC, e.g. pharmacies and opticians, and providers for whom provision of care services is not the main activity, e.g. taxi companies and companies with in-house health and safety services.
Due to the revision of the 2021 Health and social care expenditure statistics, figures for 2021-2023 are not easily comparable with previous years.- Total health and social care providers
- Total expenditure on all providers of health and social care.
Providers of preventive, long-term and emergency medical care and research related to maintain and restore personal health. Also includes supply of medication, medical aids and auxiliary services.
This category includes providers outside the 'Human health and social work' section in the SIC, e.g. pharmacies and opticians, and providers for whom provision of care services is not the main activity, e.g. taxi companies and companies with in-house health and safety services.
Due to the revision of the 2021 Health and social care expenditure statistics, figures for 2021-2023 are not easily comparable with previous years.
- Per capita health and social care expd.
- Total health and social care expenditure calculated per capita.
Due to the revision of the 2021 Health and social care expenditure statistics, figures for 2021-2023 are not easily comparable with previous years.
- Expenditure as percentage of the GDP
- Total expenditure on health and social care expressed as a percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP).
Due to the revision of the 2021 Health and social care expenditure statistics, figures for 2021-2023 are not easily comparable with previous years.
- Care supply
- Quantitative data on care providers: distance to care provider, institutions with small profitability, share of overhead in institutions.
- Average distance to facilities
- The average distance of all residents of the Netherlands from their residential address to a number of the nearest facilities.
- GP practice
- The average distance of all residents of the Netherlands to the nearest GP practice, by road.
GP Practice
Building or room in which one or more GPs work.
- Pharmacy
- The average distance of all residents of the Netherlands to the nearest pharmacy, by road.
Pharmacies include dispensing GP surgeries.