Dutch have more trust in authorities, each other

Netherlands residents have slightly more confidence in each other and the authorities, such as the police and judiciary, according to figures Statistics Netherlands released on Monday. Data from 2015-2016 shows that 60 percent of Dutch older than 15 trust their fellow human beings. That is 2 percent more than the 58 percent who trusted the rest of society in the period 2012 to 2014. A clear majority of 70 percent of Dutch have confidence in the police and judiciary.

Trust in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, remained relatively stable, but is still remarkably low at 36.8 percent. There less confidence in Dutch banks, 36 percent compared to 41 percent, and the European Union, 36 percent compared to 39 percent.

Statistics Netherlands found that highly educated people have more trust in society than people with a lower education level. Among people with only a primary level education, 39 percent trust their fellow human beings, compared to 86 percent in the group with university education. Highly educated people usually also have more confidence in politics and authorities, though the differences are less pronounced than in trust in society.