Dutch support global solidarity but split on foreign aid cuts, survey finds

A growing number of Dutch citizens identify as global citizens and recognize their connection to people in other parts of the world, but this awareness has not translated into greater action, according to new research by Radboud University in Nijmegen.

The study, released Monday, shows that approximately half of the Dutch population now believes that the Netherlands should help poorer countries and that individuals can contribute to solving global problems through their daily choices. That is significantly more than a decade ago, when expressions of solidarity with the rest of the world were less common.

“Dutch people have started thinking more like global citizens,” Sara Kinsbergen, co-author of the study and special professor of cultural anthropology and development studies, told Trouw. “They are more aware of the interconnectedness of our world and have a better understanding of how the world works.”

The report, which surveyed public opinion on global citizenship and development cooperation, found increased awareness among the Dutch population on a number of key global issues. In 2012, only 69 percent of respondents believed that low clothing prices were linked to poorly paid labor abroad. That figure now stands at over 90 percent. Likewise, four out of five Dutch people now believe that preventing deforestation in the Amazon is beneficial for the climate in the Netherlands—another sharp rise compared to a decade ago.

However, this growing awareness is not matched by a willingness to act. “Conviction and behavior do not go hand in hand,” Kinsbergen told Trouw. Donations to international development charities have not increased in recent years. While volunteering is on the rise, it remains largely focused on the local community. “That’s important too,” she said, “but it does show that our actions have limits when it comes to solidarity.”

Differences in attitudes were also significant across demographics. Women and higher-educated individuals showed more concern for people in distant countries than those with a more practical educational background.

The study comes at a time when the Dutch government is planning major cuts to its development aid budget. The outgoing cabinet intends to slash 2.4 billion euros annually from funds allocated to development cooperation.

Public opinion is sharply divided on the issue. Four in ten people say they oppose the cuts, while a similarly sized group supports them.

When asked whether they would personally contribute to make up for the lost aid—an amount estimated at 11 euros per person per month—nearly a quarter of respondents said they would be willing to do so regardless of whether others joined. Among higher-educated respondents, that number rose to 37 percent.

“This shows that we should not underestimate the level of international solidarity in parts of Dutch society,” Kinsbergen told Trouw.

According to Kinsbergen, in politics, the framing of development aid has increasingly moved away from morality and solidarity. “It has become very transactional,” Kinsbergen said. “National interests like trade and reducing migration now dominate the narrative. Even aid organizations have partially adapted to this, emphasizing how we benefit from development cooperation.”

That shift is based on the assumption that citizens are motivated more by self-interest than by moral obligation. However, the study challenges this idea.

Respondents were asked to explain their motivations for supporting development aid. Fulfilling a moral duty emerged as the second most common reason—only slightly behind contributing to peace and security. Economic benefits and curbing migration were far less frequently cited.

Public support for aid also depends heavily on context. In the case of natural disasters or health crises, a large majority believes the Netherlands should offer help—even if the affected region is in Africa rather than Europe. After the 2023 earthquake in Turkey, for example, Dutch volunteers helped prepare relief shipments in The Hague.

But support drops drastically when it comes to war. While 80 percent support aid to European countries at war, fewer than 30 percent say the same for African countries in conflict.

“Natural disasters evoke a lot of empathy,” Kinsbergen told Trouw. “They’re seen as nobody’s fault. You saw that after the earthquake in Turkey. In the case of war, people tend to think: ‘That’s their problem.’”