Wealthy people in the Netherlands live 8 years longer than poor people

Netherlands residents are living longer than ever, but the country has significant health inequality, according to the Social and Economic Council (SER). The 20 percent wealthiest Dutch live over eight years longer and even 24 years longer in good health than poorer Dutch. And theoretically educated people live an average of five years longer and 14 years longer in good health than practically educated people.

In a letter to the new Cabinet, the advisory council said that the Netherlands needs a completely different approach to healthcare. Instead of focusing on care and aftercare, the Netherlands should look more at preventing health problems by also putting health at the center of other policy areas, ranging from housing to education, the SER said.

That is a collective responsibility, the advisory council stressed. The Netherlands' current policy mainly focuses on the individual - encouraging people to exercise and eat healthier foods. But there are systemic problems that individuals can’t change. “Health problems are often the result of an accumulation of problems throughout people’s lives. Children who grow up in poverty exercise less and eat less healthy food,” the SER said. “These causes have a direct impact on children’s school performance and, therefore, on their chances later in life.”

“A lot has been invested in food, sports, and people’s individual behavior,” Marike Knoef, member of the SER and an economics professor at Tilburg University, explained to NOS. “But our advice is really about the system. So how can policy, the labor market, social security, and the living environment be improved to also reduce those health differences?”

“If you have financial stress, it can dominate your life. You have worries; you sleep poorly. It can affect your relationships. That has a negative effect on your health,” Knoef continued. “So, how can we stimulate the use of schemes? How can we reduce uncertainty with permanent contracts?”

The SER recommends putting one Minister in charge of ensuring that health effects are considered in all policy areas. And it is important to prioritize vulnerable regions and neighborhoods in this approach, the SER said. Increasing social security and solving problems with housing, education, and finances reduces stress and improves health and well-being.

Transforming the Netherlands’ current “healthcare system” into a “health system” is good for the individual and the country as a whole, the SER said. “Healthier people can participate better in society and the labor market. A healthier population also has a major positive effect on the economy, labor productivity, and innovation capacity.”