Resilience ‘here and now’

Major shocks pose a risk to well-being of households and vulnerable groups ‘here and now’. Will households be able to subsist.? How large are the vulnerable groups who will be the first to suffer the consequences of a major shock? Vulnerable groups are those with low education levels, the unemployed, self-employed, low-income low-wealth households and people with long-term health problems.
  • Resilience of well-being ‘here and now’ is high.
  • In terms of size, all vulnerable groups show a downward trend, just as in previous years. However, the size of the group with low education levels is relatively large. In 2023, 26.0 percent of the population aged 15 to 74 years had a low level of education, ranking the Netherlands 21st in the EU27.
  • Households have relatively ample resources to provide for their livelihoods. Household wealth and savings show increasing trends, just as net labour participation.

Resilience of well-being 'here and now'

Livelihood of households

52.5%
feel in control (scores 4 or 5 on a scale of 1-5) in 2023
3rd
out of 27
in EU
in 2017
Feeling in control of own life
€ 135,100
per household (2022 prices), 1 January 2022
The long-term trend is increasing (increase well-being)
Median wealth of households
€ 55,315
on average per household in 2023
The long-term trend is increasing (increase well-being)
Savings in banks in the Netherlands
73.1%
of population aged 15-74 in 2023
The long-term trend is increasing (increase well-being)
1st
out of 27
in EU
in 2022
Net labour participation
77.5%
of the population describe their own health as (very) good in 2023
9th
out of 27
in EU
in 2022
Perceived health

Extent of vulnerable groups

3.4%
of households in 2022
The long-term trend is decreasing (increase well-being)
Low income and limited wealth
26.0%
of the population aged 15-74 with low education level in 2023
The long-term trend is decreasing (increase well-being)
21st
out of 27
in EU
in 2022
Population with low education level
3.6%
of the labour force in 2023
The long-term trend is decreasing (increase well-being)
5th
out of 27
in EU
in 2022
Unemployment
5.9%
of self-employed live in a low-income household in 2022
The long-term trend is decreasing (increase well-being)
Self-employed persons without employees at risk of poverty
4.9%
experience severe limitations doing usual activities in 2023
The long-term trend is decreasing (increase well-being)
4th
out of 27
in EU
in 2022
Severe long-standing limitations due to health problems
Resilience of well-being 'here and now'
Theme Indicator Value Trend Position in EU Position in EU ranking
Livelihood of households Feeling in control of own life 52.5% feel in control (scores 4 or 5 on a scale of 1-5) in 2023 3rd out of 27 in 2017 High ranking
Livelihood of households Median wealth of households € 135,100 per household (2022 prices), 1 January 2022 increasing (increase well-being)
Livelihood of households Savings in banks in the Netherlands € 55,315 on average per household in 2023 increasing (increase well-being)
Livelihood of households Net labour participation 73.1% of population aged 15-74 in 2023 increasing (increase well-being) 1st out of 27 in 2022 High ranking
Livelihood of households Perceived health 77.5% of the population describe their own health as (very) good in 2023 9th out of 27 in 2022 Middle ranking
Extent of vulnerable groups Low income and limited wealth 3.4% of households in 2022 decreasing (increase well-being)
Extent of vulnerable groups Population with low education level 26.0% of the population aged 15-74 with low education level in 2023 decreasing (increase well-being) 21st out of 27 in 2022 Low ranking
Extent of vulnerable groups Unemployment 3.6% of the labour force in 2023 decreasing (increase well-being) 5th out of 27 in 2022 High ranking
Extent of vulnerable groups Self-employed persons without employees at risk of poverty 5.9% of self-employed live in a low-income household in 2022 decreasing (increase well-being)
Extent of vulnerable groups Severe long-standing limitations due to health problems 4.9% experience severe limitations doing usual activities in 2023 decreasing (increase well-being) 4th out of 27 in 2022 High ranking
 

Colour codes and notes to the dashboards in the Monitor of Well-being

A shock can have major consequences for well-being ‘here and now’. Households must be able to cope with these consequences. Examples of such situations include the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic and sudden increases in energy prices. The theme ‘livelihood of households’ measures the extent to which households, on average, have the means to cope with a potential shock. Vulnerable groups usually have fewer resources to cope with a shock. The theme ‘size of vulnerable groups’ measures how many people belong to certain vulnerable groups: people with low education levels, the unemployed, self-employed people at risk of poverty, households with a low income and little wealth, and people with long-term health-related limitations.

Households have enough resources to provide for their livelihoods. Net median household wealth, average household savings in Dutch banks, and net labour participation all show increasing trends. Dutch people feel more in control of their own lives and many of them have paid work; the Netherlands scores in the top group of the EU27 on these two indicators.

The trend in the size of vulnerable groups is decreasing, just as in previous years. Unemployment and the percentage of people with severe long-term health-related limitations are low compared with other EU countries (4th and 5th respectively in the EU27). However, the share of the low-educated population is relatively large (21st in the EU27 in 2022).