Public trust in Dutch politics has fallen to its lowest point in more than a decade, according to new figures released by Statistics Netherlands (CBS).
The agency’s latest Social Cohesion and Well-being survey found that in 2025 only one in five Dutch residents aged 15 and older expressed confidence in politicians, while just under a quarter said they trusted the Tweede Kamer, the lower chamber of parliament.
The findings are based on responses from around 7,600 participants and mark the weakest levels of political trust recorded since the survey began in 2012.
Confidence in national politics had steadily risen in the years leading up to 2020, nearing 40 percent before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, trust has declined almost every year, with only a brief interruption in 2024. In 2025, trust in politicians in The Hague stood at just 21.2 percent.
A similar pattern emerged for parliament. In 2020, more than half of the Dutch population viewed the Tweede Kamer positively. Five years later, that figure has dropped sharply to 24.6 percent.
Despite the decline, CBS noted that levels of political trust in the Netherlands remain comparatively high when measured against other European countries.
The survey also revealed striking generational differences. Young people between the ages of 15 and 25 reported the highest levels of confidence in political institutions, while those aged 65 to 75 expressed the least trust.
CBS sociologist Tanja Traag linked the divide to differing life experiences. Younger people, she said, often lack extensive political experience and therefore find it harder to form strong negative opinions. Older generations, by contrast, have lived through more political disappointments, which can shape a more critical outlook.
While trust in national politics continues to weaken, Dutch citizens remain considerably more positive about civil servants and the European Union, with roughly half of respondents expressing confidence in both.
Trust in local government has also shown a different trajectory. Confidence in municipal councils has increased every year since CBS began measuring it in 2022, reaching 55 percent in 2025. According to Traag, residents may feel more connected to local administrators because they are more visible and deal directly with community issues.
Regional differences were also apparent. Trust in political institutions was lowest in the northeast of the Netherlands, where only around one-third of residents expressed confidence between 2016 and 2025. In the densely populated Randstad region, the average stood at 45 percent. Photo by Rainer Ebert from Houston, United States of America, Wikimedia commons.