Home sweet home: Dutch are mostly happy with where they live, says study
Most people in the Netherlands are happy with their homes, according to a new study by the CBS Dutch statistics office.
The survey of almost 68,000 people showed that 93% of home owners were happy or very happy with their homes last year.
However, renters were less likely to feel as content, with 71% giving their house the same ranking. According to the CBS, 4.5 million Dutch households own their own home, 2.1 million live in social housing and 910,000 rent privately.
There were differences in satisfaction rates across the country. In The Hague, renters were least likely to be happy or very happy with their homes (62%) while home owners in Rotterdam lagged slightly behind the average with an 87% satisfaction rate.
The survey – conducted every three years – did show that happiness rates have been steadily falling for home owners, council home and private renters since the glory years of 2006 and 2009. People are now less likely to find their home maintenance good, praise its ambiance or say it has enough outside space (61% agreed with this). All of these averages, though, are still relatively high.
Unsurprisingly, one in five households that aren’t happy are planning to move in the next two years.
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