Netherlands social nuisance rises to 46 percent in 2025

According to the biennial Safety Monitor from Statistics Netherlands (CBS), nearly half of people aged 15 and older (46 percent) reported experiencing social nuisance in their neighborhood in 2025, an increase from 42 percent in 2021.

Hanging youth was cited as the most frequent source of nuisance, reported by 26 percent of respondents in 2025, up from 22 percent in 2021. The proportion of people experiencing high levels of nuisance rose from 12 percent to 14 percent over the same period.

Social nuisance is significantly more prevalent in highly urbanized municipalities. For instance, 11 percent of residents in strongly urban areas reported high levels of nuisance caused by hanging youth, nearly four times the rate of non-urban areas. Other reported issues include noise from neighbors, drug use, intoxicated individuals, and confused persons on the street.