More people feel unsafe in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has witnessed an increase in the number of people feeling unsafe compared to two years ago, according to the Safety Monitor 2023 released by Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Instances of falling victim to traditional crimes such as violence, theft, or vandalism have also risen.

In the latest survey, 35 percent of Netherlands residents expressed a general sense of insecurity, with 15 percent feeling unsafe in their neighborhoods. This marks a rise from 33 percent and 13.9 percent, respectively, in 2021. Notably, the feeling of insecurity saw the most significant uptick in Flevoland, climbing from 14 percent in 2021 to 17.5 percent last year.

Apart from Flevoland, residents of Zuid-Holland (17.7 percent) and Limburg (17.6 percent) reported feeling the most unsafe. Conversely, residents of Friesland and Drenthe exhibited the highest sense of security, with only 10.3 and 10.5 percent, respectively, expressing feelings of insecurity.

Residents of larger municipalities tended to harbor a greater sense of unease, with 19 percent of those residing in the 55 Dutch municipalities boasting populations over 70,000 reporting feeling unsafe, surpassing the national average of 15 percent. Notably, over a quarter of residents in Heerlen, Rotterdam, Roosendaal, Vlaardingen, and Schiedam admitted to feeling unsafe. Conversely, in Hoeksche Waard, Súdwest-Fryslân, and Meijerijstad, this figure was less than 10 percent.