Ten percent of Netherlands residents have experienced discrimination

One in ten Netherlands residents aged 15 and older experienced discrimination last year. That amounts to 1.6 million people, comparable to 2021, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported. Racism, discrimination based on skin color, was the most common.

More women than men experienced discrimination, and more young people than older people. Homosexual men and women were often targets of discrimination, with 20 percent saying they experienced it in the preceding 12 months. Second-generation immigrants with non-European roots also experienced discrimination often (25 percent).

Racism was the most often experienced form of discrimination last year. 4.2 percent of the Dutch population aged 15 and older experienced discrimination based on their skin color. Discrimination based on nationality was the second most common (3.6%), followed by discrimination based on gender (3.1%), age (1.9%), religion (1.7%), and sexual orientation (1.0%).

Most discrimination victims were discriminated against by random people on the street (4.0%). Discrimination at work (2.8%) and in the store (2.6%) was also relatively common, followed by discrimination on public transport (1.7%), while going out (1.6%), and while job hunting (1.5%).

Experiencing discrimination impacted how people feel about themselves and society. 28.3 percent experienced emotional or mental health problems resulting from discrimination. More than half (51.4%) said that they trust other people less after experiencing discrimination. 21 percent feel less safe. People also experience depression (14.9%), trouble sleeping (10.8%), and anxiety or panic attacks (8.5%) after discrimination.