Highly educated young people more concerned about environmental pollution

In 2018, only 30 per cent of young adults aged 25 or younger cited crime as a major problem. Six years later, that figure has risen to 49 per cent, according to Statistics Netherlands.

Concerns about environmental pollution have also increased from 45 to 49 per cent. In 2018, young people were already concerned about the environment. Greta Thunberg began her school strike in the autumn of that year and was emulated around the world. 

Differences according to educational level
There is a striking difference between young people who studied or are studying at a university or university of applied sciences and those who pursue or have pursued vocational education, or who have only completed secondary education. The former are relatively more concerned about the environment, while the latter consider crime the main problem.

When surveying their views, Statistics Netherlands also asked whether young people think that "population size" is a problem in the Netherlands. Young people are slightly less concerned about this than about environmental pollution and crime.

This graph compares higher education students and graduates (blue) with vocational students and graduates (orange). It shows the percentage of respondents who consider the environment, crime and population size to be a big problem, respectively. © HOP. Source: Statistics Netherlands (CBS). 

Not all CBS figures on young people are broken down by educational level. In the National Youth Monitor 2025, statisticians examine the well-being of young people, regardless of the education they pursue.

Most young people are doing well, but there is room for improvement. Of those aged 18 to 25, 81 per cent are happy, compared to 90 per cent eleven years ago. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, the percentage of happy young people had fallen to around 86 per cent, but the pandemic caused a downturn from which some young people apparently still have not fully recovered.