SDG 16.2 Institutions

The second part of SDG 16 is about institutions, such as the press, the judiciary, the Dutch House of Representatives, and the government as a whole. In an open and democratic society, it is important that institutions are accountable, that information is accessible to everyone and that fundamental freedoms are protected. This fosters public trust in the government and makes it easier for people to participate in society.

• The quality of Dutch public institutions is high compared to other EU countries.
• Both the effectiveness of public administration and the perceived integrity of the public sector are declining.
• Citizens are increasingly involved in decision-making.
• The proportion of the population that trusts the judiciary is large and growing.

Dashboard and indicators

Colour codes and notes to the dashboards in the Monitor of Well-being

Resources and opportunities refers to the resources the government has at its disposal to carry out its tasks and provide services for its citizens. Public spending on general governance as a percentage of GDP continues to decline. In 2023, 3.6 percent of GDP went to executive and legislative government bodies (such as the House of Representatives, the Senate, municipal governments and the Tax Administration), foreign aid, general services, interest on public debt, and basic research. In the late 1990s, spending on general governance still accounted for 8 to 9 percent of GDP. By 2010, this figure had fallen to around 5.5 percent. This is consistent with similar trends seen in the rest of the EU. After 2010, general governance spending in the Netherlands declined more sharply than in other countries, primarily due to a decrease in spending on public debt. Over the years, the Netherlands has fallen from the middle of the ranking for this indicator to near the bottom (24th out of 27 in 2022).

Use refers to how citizens use services provided by the government and social organisations. For a well-functioning democracy, it is essential that citizens actively participate in institutions. Participation is measured based on the coverage rate of collective labour agreements and the turnout for parliamentary elections. The coverage rate of collective labour agreements is an indicator of passive participation. There is a major difference between the number of union members (active participation) and the number of employees benefiting from union representation in salary negotiations (passive participation). In 2022, 16.3 percent of workers aged 15 to 75 were union members, while 71.8 percent were covered by a collective labour agreement. The coverage rate of collective labour agreements has been declining for years.

The turnout for the 2023 parliamentary elections was 77.7 percent. Although this was one percentage point lower than in 2021, it was still relatively high compared to other EU countries. The ranking for this indicator is based on the turnout at the most recent parliamentary elections. Some countries have a turnout or voting obligation, but these are not enforced.

Outcomes refers to the quality of public services, the government’s openness and efficiency, and public participation in decision-making. Since 1996, the World Bank has been measuring various aspects of sound governance through its Worldwide Governance Indicators. These indicators show that the quality of Dutch public institutions is high compared to other countries. In EU rankings, the Netherlands is in the top five across all indicators. This is despite a gradual decline in the effectiveness of public administration, from 1.81 to 1.63 in 2023. The quality of government regulations is also deteriorating, but this downward trend is mainly due to a brief uptick in 2017 and 2018. The figure for 2023 (1.79) is more or less at the ‘normal’ level. On the other hand, the scores for public participation in decision-making and accountability are gradually rising. This indicator measures the extent to which citizens are able to influence the composition of their government and whether there is freedom of expression, freedom of association and assembly, and freedom of the press in their country.

The perceived integrity of the Dutch public sector is declining. Transparency International sees an increase in corruption in 19 out of 31 countries in Western Europe and the EU, including countries such as France, Germany, Norway and Sweden. The factors that determine a country’s performance in this organisation’s Corruption Perceptions Index include the government’s willingness to disclose information to the media and public, the pressure put on administrators and civil servants by organised crime, trust in the government, and the level of control over the lobbying sector and its efforts to exert political influence. The Netherlands ranks high on this index, indicating a relatively low level of corruption. In 2024, the Netherlands ranked fifth in the EU and ninth out of 180 countries worldwide in 2024, with a score of 78 out of 100.

Subjective assessment refers to whether citizens trust the government. Trust in institutions is relatively high, and trust in the judiciary and the police is growing. In 2024, 78.3 percent of the population aged 15 and over had quite a lot or a great deal of trust in the judiciary. In 2023, only Finland reported higher figures. The most recent data (from 2023 to 2024) shows a rise in trust in civil servants, the House of Representatives, local councils and the European Union. While trust in the House of Representatives is not high (31.3 percent), the Netherlands still ranks second compared to the rest of the EU. The SDG 16.1 dashboard shows that trust in the police is also relatively high and continues to rise.