Statistics Netherlands

State Secretary Paul Blokhuis of Public Health will critically look into the cause of the increased number of suicides in the Netherlands, he said on Tuesday. He wants to know what caused the increase, and whether it is a one-time peak or if something else is going on, NU.nl reports.

The number of vehicles on Dutch roads increased slightly over the past year. At the start of this year there were 12.5 million registered vehicles in the Netherlands, 2 percent more than in early 2017, Statistics Netherlands reported.

Almost all types of vehicles saw an increase, delivery vans in particular. At the start of 2018 there were more than 883 thousand delivery vans in the country, an increase of 5 percent compared to a year earlier. 

House prices in the Netherlands reached record high in May, rising above the peak in August 2008 to the highest level ever, according to figures Statistics Netherlands and the Land Registry released on Thursday.

Last month the average price to buy a house in the Netherlands was 283,945 euros, 9 percent higher than a year earlier. This only includes existing owner-occupied homes, new construction is not included in these figures. In April house prices were also almost 9 percent higher than they were in April 2017. 

Meat prices in the Netherlands increased significantly last year. On average meat was 3.8 percent more expensive in 2017 than in 2016, the biggest price increase since 2001, according to figures Statistics Netherlands published on Thursday.

The price of poultry increased the most during the past year, with 4.7 percent. Pork and meat products like smoked, dried or salted meat were 4.2 percent more expensive. The price of mutton and goat meat increased by 3.3 percent, and beef was 2.7 percent more expensive.

Dutch people's confidence in each other and in the institutions increased almost across the board last year, according to figures Statistics Netherlands released on Monday. The Dutch have most confidence in the police with 74.5 percent saying they trust the police, and least in the church with only 31.2 percent.

The share of Dutch exports in the world trade increased over the past two years. Last year the Netherlands' exports accounted for 3.2 percent of world trade, Statistics Netherlands reported on Monday.

The Dutch share in world trade declined in the years after the credit crisis from around 3.5 percent to 3 percent. In 2016 there was a turning point, partly due to Dutch exports gaining strength, partly due to the total value of world trade declining. In 2017 the value of world trade increased, and Dutch exports increased even faster.

The number of registered crimes in the Netherlands decreased again last year and is now back at the level of 1980, Statistics Netherlands reported on Monday. Crime in the Netherlands increased steadily at the start of this century, but decreased considerably over the past few years. Last year 49 crimes were registered per 1,000 inhabitants, compared to 93 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2001 and 2002, NOS reports.

The percentage of Dutch 15 year olds not living with both their parents increased from 20 percent to 30 percent between 1997 and 2017. Children of unmarried parents are more likely to see their parents separate than kids of married parents, Statistics Netherlands said in its report New Families, released on Monday.

The reason for the vast majority of 15 year olds not living with both parents, is divorce or separation. Less than 5 percent of these teenagers don't live with both parents due to the death of one or both parents. 

Between the years 2000 and 2016, companies in the Netherlands' production methods have become cleaner and they used relatively less raw materials. Companies that are involved in environmental protection and natural resources are also doing well - their production and employment opportunities increased, Statistics Netherlands reported in its Green Growth report on Monday.

Almost all regions in the Netherlands saw economic growth last year. The Groningen region was the only one to see its economy shrink. The regions around Eindhoven and Almere saw the strongest growth, Statistics Netherlands reported on Tuesday. 

In both the Eindhoven and Almere regions, the economy grew by 4.9 percent last year compared to 2016. In Zuidoost-Noord-Brabant - Eindhoven and its surroundings - last year's economic growth was mainly supported by industry and business services. In Almere, lease companies in particular contributed to the economic growth. 

In March 3.9 percent of the Netherlands' labor force were unemployed, compared to 4.1 percent in February. That is still above the unemployment level before the financial crisis in 2008, but the percentage halved since early in 2014, when unemployment peaked at 7.8 percent, Statistics Netherlands reported on Thursday.

Last month more than 8.7 million people between the ages of 15 and 75 years had paid work. That number increased by an average of 20 thousand per month over the past three months.