While the murders of Pim Fortuyn and Theo van Gogh have left their traces, over 80% of the Dutch now say they are happy or very happy, according to a major new report by the government’s social policy unit SCP.

Some 67% of the population are pleased with the government, an increase of almost 20 percentage points on 2004.
The number of people who think there are too many foreigners in the country shrank from 51% in 2000 to 41% last year.
And fewer people today feel that the crime rate is growing – the latest percentage is 64%, compared to a record 86% in 1995.
The SCP report, published every two years, aims to build up an overall picture of Dutch society, from trends in education and employment to the political climate.
More to follow