Almost 90 percent say they are happy
The perception of happiness is found to be closely related to health. Among people who rate their own health as (very) poor, 58 percent consider themselves happy and 16 percent unhappy. The share is much larger among those who claim excellent health, namely 94 percent, against 1 percent who say they are unhappy.
| Unhappy | Neither happy nor unhappy | Happy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 2.6 | 9.1 | 88.3 |
| Health perception | |||
| very good | 1.3 | 4.9 | 93.8 |
| good | 1.3 | 5.8 | 92.9 |
| not bad | 3.4 | 15.7 | 80.9 |
| (very) bad | 16 | 26.4 | 57.6 |
Happier in a good relationship
Another key determinant of happiness is being in a relationship. Ninety-two percent of Dutch adults who have a partner are happy, against 79 percent of people without a partner.
Happiness perceptions are also linked with the quality of the relationship. At 65 percent, people who are not happy with their relationship report much lower levels of happiness than people who do not have a partner (79 percent). It is not always clear what cause and effect are here. Does less happy mean the partner (and other issues) is viewed more negatively, or does the unhappy relationship lead to a lower happiness level?
| Unhappy | Neither happy nor unhappy | Happy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In a relationship | |||
| Yes | 1.4 | 6.9 | 91.8 |
| No | 6 | 15.1 | 78.9 |
| Happy in relationship | |||
| Yes | 1 | 5.3 | 93.7 |
| No | 7.1 | 27.5 | 65.4 |