Residents of disadvantaged neighborhoods more likely to ignore municipal elections

Residents of neighborhoods with many low-income households are significantly less likely to vote in the municipal elections than residents of wealthier neighborhoods. Education level also plays a big role in the turnout figures, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported.

In the previous municipal election, about 60 percent of the residents of wealthy neighborhoods went to the polls. In communities with predominantly low-income residents, the turnout was 45 percent. 

Education level also influences the turnout figures. In neighborhoods where most residents are highly educated, 59 percent voted four years ago. In neighborhoods with mainly lower-educated residents, that was 45 percent.

The stats office looked at the turnout for every neighborhood in the Netherlands in the most recent municipal elections - the 2018 municipal elections or the 2017 and 2018 re-division elections. The stats office then linked that data with info on income and education level.