A healthy environment is one that is green and offers sufficient space for physical activity and social encounters. However, public space is limited in the Netherlands and its use is under pressure. This is why it is important for municipalities and provinces to be able to make healthy, science-based choices. RIVM has developed a few rules of thumb for this.

Every year, approximately 2% of all people in the Netherlands sustain injuries from falling in the street. Another 2% are injured in cycling accidents. These percentages are higher among people under the age of 25.

More and more adults are drinking no alcohol, or no more than one glass a day. Whereas 38 per cent drank little to no alcohol in 2012, this percentage rose to 45 per cent in 2024.

Encouraging people in the Netherlands to be more physical active requires a structural, long-term physical activity policy that is not linked to a particular government term or short-term program.

In 2023, 56% of the Dutch population aged four and over played sports at least once a week. This figure marks an increase from 53% in 2022. Notably, the percentage of individuals with physical disabilities who played sports weekly saw a significant rise, from 23% to 29%.

The number of participants that has started the Combined Lifestyle Intervention (CLI) has more than doubled over the course of a single year. Nationwide, over 82,000 people have now started the CLI. According to RIVM’s annual report, most of the participants achieve a good outcome.

The number of people in the Netherlands aged four and over who meet the Physical Activity Guidelines has fallen since 2020. In 2022, 44.3% of the population was sufficiently physically active.

In 2021, 47% of people aged four years and older in the Netherlands got the amount of physical activity recommended by the Physical Activity Guidelines. Children aged 4 to 11 years were most likely to meet the standard. Conversely, young people between the ages of 12 and 17 fell short. This is the outcome of a study conducted by RIVM.