2 months Ago
There are many more citizens who are confidently optimistic about their personal situations, but that almost seems to be independent from the collective nation's future view. Underneath the layer of this personal optimism is profound concern and skepticism about the politics, housing market, healthcare, asylum policy, and overall national climate.
Increased Confidence About Personal Finances
The survey indicates a marked improvement in how Dutch people feel about their personal finances. In fact, approximately 8 out of 10 respondents assert today that life in the Netherlands is going adequately, which, to be clear, is a significant improvement compared to two years ago, when only 73 percent responded in the affirmative.
Also, the number of people who expressed concern about their personal finances has diminished. For instance, two years ago, 41 percent of Dutch citizens expressed worry about their finances. That number has decreased to 30 percent, indicating that a greater number of people now feel financially secure or stable in covering their expenses.
However, it is important to indicate that while the shifts indicate positive trends in the aggregate, there are differences in perspectives. Income differentials matter, as evidenced in the survey in two important ways: (1) the overall positivity of individual financial situations and (2) reporting by lower-income households.
In fact, while only 40 percent of lower income households report financial worry today, that is actually slightly lower than the figure reported two years ago, but it still indicates that slightly more than one in three lower income respondents continue to worry about their personal finances.
For these families, the worries about rising costs and long-term stability still feel very real. In other words, while feeling satisfactory for most respondents, financial stress has not disappeared completely for everyone.
Personal Satisfaction vs. National Pessimism
What is interesting about the results is the division between the respondents' opinions of their personal lives and the opinion of the future of the Netherlands as a whole.
While most respondents reported being more satisfied personally, almost nine out of ten responded pessimistically about the Netherlands when taken in the bigger picture and by looking at the future.
This pessimism can mostly be attributed to politics. People do not trust their politicians and do not believe that the parliament can handle the challenges facing a country. Trust in Parliament members is lowest when compared to other areas in society.
Only 11 percent of respondents expressed trust in Parliament members. This is incredibly low when compared to trust levels for doctors at 92 percent, police at 79 percent, scientists at 77 percent, and judges at 70 percent.
The monarchy had a high trust level of 63 percent, while financial institutions, which seem to be losing ground, were valued at 51 percent.
This trust crisis means that, although Dutch people may be prospering in their lives inside their own home or work lives, they lack faith that the country is on the right track because of the political system. The survey illustrates a country that feels comfortable individually, but it is doubtful collectively.
A country of contrasts
As a whole, the Everyday Life Monitor survey findings identify a country of contrasts. On the one hand, the Dutch population generally feels more secure and happy in their minds about their personal financial life.
Rising wages and a somewhat stable economy relative to other countries, along with better management of household budgets, may all contribute to this better view of life on an individual level.
On the other hand, once one looks at the future for the country, pessimism takes over. A remarkable lack of trust in politicians, in conjunction with knowing housing, asylum, crime, healthcare, and the climate world is an issue, provides a picture of a worried society which is now wondering not only where it is heading, but also collectively.
Individual citizens may be managing better in their lives than before, but they seriously doubt whether national leaders are able to address those bigger challenges and concerns that put society in that challenge in the first place.
