Things are going in the right direction in the Netherlands, but this is also putting pressure on future generations and other (low income) countries, states the “Monitor Brede Welvaart 2021”. Jan Pieter Smits, professor at History Lab and researcher at CBS, led this important publication.
The year 2020 was defined by the coronavirus pandemic. Covid-19 is confirmed to have claimed 17.4 thousand lives in the Netherlands last year, and another 2.7 thousand deaths had covid-19 as probable cause of death. The economy took an enormous hit and consumption plummeted. For the first time in years, satisfaction with life decreased. In spite of all this, well-being increased in a number of areas: people were more satisfied with their jobs and with how much free time they had, and their trust in institutions showed a strong increase. On the other hand, natural resources are under great pressure. These are some of the findings of the CBS Monitor of Well-being and the Sustainable Development Goals 2021.
At the request of the Dutch Cabinet, CBS publishes the Monitor of Well-being annually on Accountability Day. The monitor describes how well-being in the Netherlands translates into quality of life ‘here and now’ and how the Dutch pursuit of well-being places pressure on future generations and on people in other countries.