SDG 11.2 Living environment
The second part of SDG 11 concerns the goal of a safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable living environment in which people can live and work. Space is scarce in the Netherlands, and the living environment and available space are under pressure.
- The living environment is getting cleaner. Emissions of acidifying substances and urban exposure to particulate matter are decreasing.
- Urban nature is becoming less diverse: bird populations are declining.
- Social cohesion decreased slightly in 2023.
- Perceived noise pollution is increasing and is high compared to other EU countries.
Dashboard and indicators
Resources and opportunities
in EU
in 2022
in EU
in 2022
Use
in EU
in 2023
Outcomes
in EU
in 2022
in EU
in 2019
in EU
in 2023
Subjective assessment
in EU
in 2023
| Theme | Indicator | Value | Trend | Position in EU | Position in EU ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resources and opportunities | Area per person | 2,315 m2 per capita in 2024 | decreasing (decrease well-being) | 26th out of 27 in 2022 | Low ranking |
| Resources and opportunities | Government expenditure on environment protection | 1.5% of gross domestic product in 2023 | 1st out of 27 in 2022 | High ranking | |
| Use | Practising art and culture C) | 78% undertook a cultural activity at least once in 2022 | |||
| Use | Cultural participation C) | 87% attended at least one performance, event or exhibition in 2022 | |||
| Use | Municipal waste | 507 kg per capita in 2023 | 7th out of 18 in 2023 | Middle ranking | |
| Outcomes | Emissions of acidifying substances A) | 0.84 tonnes of acid equivalents per capita in 2024 | decreasing (increase well-being) | 13th out of 27 in 2022 | Middle ranking |
| Outcomes | Urban exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) | 8.0 microgram PM2.5 per m3 in 2023 | decreasing (increase well-being) | 8th out of 26 in 2019 | Middle ranking |
| Outcomes | Victims of crime | 19.9% of the population over 15 are crime victims in 2023 | 13th out of 19 in 2023 | Middle ranking | |
| Outcomes | Social cohesion in the neighbourhood | 6.5 score on scale 0-10 in 2023 | |||
| Outcomes | Trend urban bird population | 88.8 index (trend 2007=100) in 2024 | decreasing (decrease well-being) | ||
| Subjective assessment | Noise nuisance caused by traffic and neighbours | 29.7% of households experience noise nuisance in 2024 | increasing (decrease well-being) | 23rd out of 26 in 2023 | Low ranking |
| Subjective assessment | Satisfaction with cultural offerings in surrounding region | 53% is (very) satisfied in 2022 | |||
| Subjective assessment | Often feeling unsafe in the neighbourhood | 2.2% of the population over 15 often feels unsafe in 2023 | |||
| Subjective assessment | Satisfaction with residential environment | 86.4% of the population over 18 are satisfied in 2024 |
Colour codes and notes to the dashboards in the Monitor of Well-being
Given the considerable pressure on available space, it is a challenge to ensure that local environments remain liveable. SDG 11 is about all aspects of the living environment, including the state of the environment, safety and cultural facilities.
Resources and opportunities refers to the available space and the expenditure on protecting the quality of the living environment. After Malta, the Netherlands has the second highest population density in the EU. While there is little change in the total land area, the population continues to grow. As a result, the total space per inhabitant is getting smaller. In 2024, the average amount of space per person was 2,315 square metres. The Dutch government spends a larger share of its budget on environmental protection than the other EU countries. Environmental protection encompasses waste and wastewater management, pollution control and the protection of biodiversity and landscapes. In 2023, the Netherlands spent 1.5 percent of its GDP on this. This percentage has remained fairly stable over the past decades.
Use refers to how people use their living environment, which can take many different forms. The monitor measures people’s engagement in local cultural activities and how much waste households produce. Most people are culturally active in some form or other: in 2022, 78 percent of the population aged 6 and over engaged in a cultural activity – such as playing an instrument, dancing, sculpting or writing – at least once a year. Meanwhile, 87 percent attended one or more cultural activities. Households burden their environment by producing waste. Between 2022 and 2023, the amount of waste collected by municipalities decreased by 1.7 percent to 507 kilograms per inhabitant. This was the lowest amount since measurements started in 1995.
Outcomes refers to the quality and safety of the living environment. Air quality is improving. The amount of acidifying substances (sulphur oxide, nitrogen oxide and ammonia) and urban exposure to particulate matter (particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres in diameter, also known as PM2.5) are decreasing.
In the most recent years (between 2021 and 2023), the number of victims of traditional forms of crime increased, while social cohesion decreased slightly. In 2023, 19.9 percent of the population aged 15 and over said they had been victims of ‘traditional’ forms of crime, such as violence, vandalism and theft. In 2021, this was 17.1 percent, the lowest level since measurements began. The level in 2023 was still lower than that of every previous year. In 2023, people gave the social cohesion in their residential neighbourhood a rating of 6.5 out of 10. While this was slightly lower than in 2021 (6.6), social cohesion has remained fairly stable over the long term. Social cohesion in residential neighbourhoods is calculated based on the frequency and nature of interactions with other local residents, satisfaction with the neighbourhood’s demographic profile, and the extent to which people feel at home where they live.
Nature in the living environment <<link naar SDG 15>> contributes to well-being. Birds in urban areas are a measure of the quality of the natural environment. The populations of the 83 bird species that are currently being monitored show a downward trend. Since measurements began in 2007, urban bird populations have declined by an average of more than 10 percent. This is especially true for species that are characteristic of the three main ‘green’ habitats: forests and parks, shrubs and thickets, and open green areas and meadows. Conversely, waterfowl and marsh birds and the peregrine falcon are doing better.
Subjective assessment refers to how people experience their local living environment. Noise pollution from neighbours and street activity is on the rise. In 2024, three out of every ten households experienced noise pollution. Between 2006 and 2010, this figure dropped from 33 to 24 percent, before gradually increasing again to 29.7 percent in 2024. This is high compared to other countries in the EU: in 2023, the Netherlands ranked 23rd out of 26 countries. Although most people either engage in or attend cultural activities, only a small majority were satisfied with the supply of cultural activities in their area in 2022.