SDG 16.2 Institutions
- Dutch government expenditure on general public services as a percentage of GDP continues to trend downwards. Within the EU27, the Netherlands is near the bottom of the list (24th in 2022).
- Voter turnout was high at the last general election in the Netherlands compared with other EU countries.
- Regulatory quality of governance, government effectiveness and voice and accountability are all high in the Netherlands compared with other EU countries. The trend for regulatory quality of governance was stable but is now downward. Government effectiveness is declining, and the extent to which the Dutch public sector is seen as free of corruption is also decreasing.
- An increasing share of the Dutch population trust judges and the EU. Trust in judges and in the House of Representatives is higher than in almost all other EU countries. However, trust in the House of Representatives did fall to its lowest percentage in 2023 (29.0 percent) since the start of the measurement in 2012.
- Trust in the Dutch press is no longer rising, but has become neutral. In 2023 it was 3.2 percentage points down on 2022.
Dashboard and indicators
Resources and opportunities
in EU
in 2022
Use
in EU
in 2018
in EU
in 2023
Outcomes
in EU
in 2022
in EU
in 2022
in EU
in 2023
in EU
in 2022
Subjective assessment
in EU
in 2020
in EU
in 2020
| Theme | Indicator | Value | Trend | Position in EU | Position in EU ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resources and opportunities | Government expenditure on general public services | 3.7% of gross domestic product in 2022 | decreasing (decrease well-being) | 24th out of 27 in 2022 | Low ranking |
| Use | Collective agreement coverage | 75.6% of employees covered by a collective agreement in 2019 | decreasing (decrease well-being) | 8th out of 16 in 2018 | Middle ranking |
| Use | Voter turnout in parliamentary elections | 77.7% of the electorate voted in a general election in 2023 | 6th out of 27 in 2023 | High ranking | |
| Outcomes | Regulatory quality of governance | 1.71 score on a scale of -2.5 (weak) to 2.5 (strong) in 2022 | decreasing (decrease well-being) | 4th out of 27 in 2022 | High ranking |
| Outcomes | Government effectiveness | 1.58 score on a scale of -2.5 (weak) to 2.5 (strong) in 2022 | decreasing (decrease well-being) | 4th out of 27 in 2022 | High ranking |
| Outcomes | Corruption perception index | 79 score on a scale of 0-100 (100 = not corrupt) in 2023 | decreasing (decrease well-being) | 4th out of 27 in 2023 | High ranking |
| Outcomes | Voice and accountability | 1.54 score on a scale of -2.5 (weak) to 2.5 (strong) in 2022 | 3rd out of 27 in 2022 | High ranking | |
| Subjective assessment | Trust in the media | 36.6% of the population over 15 answered “very high“ or “fairly high“ in 2023 | |||
| Subjective assessment | Trust in judges | 77.5% of the population over 15 answered “very high“ or “fairly high“ in 2023 | increasing (increase well-being) | 2nd out of 19 in 2020 | High ranking |
| Subjective assessment | Trust in civil servants | 43.9% of the population over 15 answered “very high“ or “fairly high“ in 2023 | |||
| Subjective assessment | Trust in the municipal council | 51.5% of the population over 15 answered “very high“ or “fairly high“ in 2023 | |||
| Subjective assessment | Trust in the House of Representatives | 29.0% of the population over 15 answered “very high“ or “fairly high“ in 2023 | 2nd out of 19 in 2020 | High ranking | |
| Subjective assessment | Trust in the EU | 47.1% of the population over 15 answered “very high“ or “fairly high“ in 2023 | increasing (increase well-being) |
Colour codes and notes to the dashboards in the Monitor of Well-being
In addition to security and peace (see dashboard 6.1), SDG 16 also covers institutions such as the House of Representatives, the press, judges and government in general. An open and democratic society makes institutions accountable, ensures that information is accessible to everyone, and protects fundamental freedoms. In this respect institutions must be accountable and transparent at every level, and demonstrate inclusive and representative decision-making processes. Efficient, accountable and transparent institutions are essential to create and maintain a sense of well-being in a society, and the quality of such institutions affects government policy coherence and effectiveness. Strong accountable institutions help citizens to trust authorities, engage with others, become involved in their communities and participate actively in society.
The medium-term trends (calculated from data available for the period 2016-2023) in the dashboard present a predominantly negative picture: five indicators are red and only two green. Trust in the press now shows a neutral trend, while it was previously increasing.
Resources and opportunities are resources the government has at its disposal to carry out its tasks and provide services for its citizens. Government expenditure on general public services – as a percentage of GDP – has continued to decline, to 3.7 percent in 2022.
Use here means use by citizens of services provided by the government and by civil society organisations. Active citizen participation in society is essential for a well-functioning democracy. One indicator used to measure this in the Netherlands is the coverage of collective labour agreements.
Outcomes relate to the quality of public services, the openness and efficiency of government, and voice and accountability. The Netherlands is at the top of the EU rankings for all indicators in this category.
Subjective assessment here concerns the question of whether citizens trust the government. Trust in institutions (the percentage of the population answering the question on how much they trust a certain institution with a score of 6 or higher on a scale of 0 to 10) is high compared with other European countries, and the trend is rising for two indicators.