Obesity, smoking and drinking hardly down since 2018

In 2021, smoking, excessive drinking and obesity rates were still far above the targets set in the National Prevention Agreement for 2040. With this agreement, the Dutch government – joined by more than 70 civil society organisations in the Netherlands - aims to reduce the prevalence of smoking and problematic alcohol use among adults to 5 percent by the year 2040. Overweight must be reduced to 38 percent and obesity to 7.1 percent of the over-18s.

No decline in overweight since 2018

In 2021, the proportion of overweight adults (50 percent) was virtually the same as in 2018, at the start of the National Prevention Agreement. The obesity rate stood at 14 percent and this has not changed in recent years. The share of smokers has declined slightly: from 22 percent in 2018 to 21 percent in 2021. Seven percent of the over-18s consumed alcohol excessively, slightly less than in 2018 and 2019. The proportion of heavy drinkers (8 percent) in 2021 was more or less the same as in previous years.

Fewer overweight adults among those with highest wealth

In 2021, 44 percent of adults in the highest wealth quintile were overweight. This was more than half in the other wealth quintiles. At 10 percent, obesity was also less prevalent among people with a high level of wealth compared to those in the lowest wealth quintile (19 percent).

Twice as many obese among lower educated

Among lower educated people, 60 percent were overweight. This was 41 percent among the higher educated. The obesity rate among lower educated (18 percent) was almost twice as high as among people with a high education level (10 percent).

More drinkers among adults with high wealth

In 2021, the share of excessive and heavy drinkers among adults in the highest wealth quintile was larger than among those in the lowest quintile. In the group with the highest wealth, 9 percent were excessive drinkers and 10 percent heavy drinkers. Among adults in the lowest wealth group, this was 6 and 7 percent, respectively. Excessive alcohol use did not differ between lower and higher education levels. The share of heavy drinkers was larger among highly educated (9 percent) than among low-skilled adults.

1 in 3 low-income adults smoke

Last year, 31 percent of adults in the lowest wealth quintile indicated they smoked occasionally, against nearly 14 percent of adults in the highest quintile. Likewise, among people with lower education levels, smoking rates were higher than among those with a high education level: 24 versus 15 percent.

The differences in overweight and obesity, smoking and excessive alcohol use between lower and higher wealth and education levels are not attributable to a different composition of those groups in terms of sex and age. As to heavy drinking, the difference between education levels is related to the difference in age structure. The highly educated group is younger on average and more likely to engage in heavy drinking, while lower educated people are older on average and less likely to drink excessively.

How did CBS obtain these figures?

The results have been taken from the 2018-2021 National Health Survey/Lifestyle Monitor, conducted by CBS, RIVM and the Trimbos Institute. Based on a sample from the Personal Records Database (BRP), people in all age categories were asked to complete a survey on smoking, alcohol consumption, drugs, height and weight, and nutrition. For respondents under the age of 12, the survey questions were answered by a parent or caretaker. In order to ensure that the group of participants reflects the Dutch population as closely as possible, the results were weighted according to sex, age, migration background, marital status, degree of urbanisation, province, geographical features, household size, income, assets, survey period and, as of 2018, target group.