Netherlands residents' trust in politics historically low

Netherlands residents’ trust in politics is at a historic low. In the third quarter of this year, 39 percent of Netherlands residents no longer have any confidence in politics, and 75 percent said their trust in the government has declined over the past year, according to a quarterly report titled “Know your people: The Netherlands” by the Norwegian agency Norstat.

The low trust in politics is accompanied by a sense of pessimism. Half of Dutch people think the Netherlands is going in the wrong direction, and 74 percent are very concerned about developments in the Netherlands. Only 2 percent are positive about what’s happening in the Netherlands.

Dutch citizens’ biggest concerns are inflation, migration, and international conflicts. A large portion of the population is also worried about crime and climate change, though these are less frequently listed as people’s main concern.

Despite the societal discontent, most Netherlands residents are happy with their personal lives, according to Norstat. 72 percent rate their quality of life as good or very good, and 83 percent consider themselves reasonably happy.

The Netherlands is not the only European country where trust in politics is under pressure, but the Dutch situation is remarkably poor within Northwest Europe. Large groups of citizens also distrust their governments in Italy (60%), the United Kingdom (49%), and Germany (42%).

That percentage is significantly lower in the Scandinavian countries. In Denmark, only 15 percent of citizens have no confidence in politics. In Sweden, that’s 17 percent, and 19 percent in Norway. According to Norstat, the Scandinavian countries have transparent and stable governments, and that is reflected in the high level of trust in them.