Young people aged 15 to 17 years in the Netherlands say they have little interest in politics. Once they are entitled to vote when they turn 18, they do start to find politics more interesting. At the same time, young people place a great deal of faith in politicians, more so than the older generations.
Read publicationIn 2014, 73 thousand young people between the ages of 12 and 25 (2.4 percent of the total youth population) were registered as suspects of a criminal offence. This is a decline of 43 percent since 2007. One third of all registered suspects in 2014 were young, down from 39 percent in 2007.
Read publicationBetween 2010 and 2014, over 14 percent of young Dutch between the ages of 12 and 20 were smoking. This percentage is particularly high in the north of the Netherlands. The share of young people smoking is highest in the province of Drenthe (19 percent), followed by the province of Groningen and the northern Netherlands region, each with 18 percent. The lowest share of smokers aged 12 to 20 is found in the middle region of the country. The municipal health care regions of Amsterdam, Utrecht and the Gooi- en Vecht area report a percentage share of 11 percent young smokers.
Read publicationNearly one in three 18-24 year-olds smoke, and one in five of this age group are overweight. At the same time, nearly 91 percent report their own health as good or very good. Young people who smoke and those who are overweight are less positive about their health than those who do not smoke and those who are not overweight.
Read publicationIf they are not at home, a smartphone is by far the most popular mobile device for young people to access the internet. Once online, they spend most of their time playing video games, watching films and accessing social networks. They also buy tickets for upcoming events.
Read publicationRelative to other European countries, many young people in the Netherlands attend some form of education. The number of young people leaving school without a basic qualification is also below the European Union (EU) average.
Read publicationCompared with a few years ago, the situation in which young people with a non-western foreign background in the Netherlands find themselves has improved in a number of areas. They are better educated and more of them have jobs. In spite of this, they still have some catching up to do with respect to native Dutch young people.
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