While the overwhelming majority of people in the Netherlands are happy with their lives, some 35% are pessimistic about the direction the country is heading in, according to new research by national statistics agency CBS.

The CBS report comes just a week after the UN put the Netherlands in fifth position in its happiest country ranking. The new Dutch research shows almost nine in 10 people are happy with their lives in general and almost six in 10 are positive about the Netherlands.

However, over half of the people who are unhappy are pessimistic about the future of the Netherlands. They are more likely to be older, male, with lower levels of education and with Dutch ancestry, the CBS said.

Just 25% of youngsters are pessimistic but 14% – the highest figure in the research – say they are not sure which direction the country is heading in. The over-75s, however, are among those with the most positive outlook.