Women Less Healthy and Visit Doctors More Often Than Men
Statistics Netherlands | CBS
Source published: 6 March 26
Women Less Healthy and Visit Doctors More Often Than Men
New research from Statistics Netherlands shows that women are generally less healthy and seek medical care more often than men.
In 2025, 26 percent of women reported that they consider their health to be poor, compared to 21 percent of men. Women experience involuntary urine loss about four times as often as men. Migraines, bowel disorders, arthritis, and joint wear occur about twice as often in women. This is reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) based on new figures from the 2025 Health Survey.
18 percent of women reported having migraines in the past twelve months, compared to 8 percent of men. 10 percent of women experience involuntary urine loss, compared to 3 percent of men.
Men
%
¹⁾ selection of five chronic conditions more common in women than men
²⁾ in the past twelve months
Some chronic conditions occur more often in men, particularly cardiovascular diseases. For example, 4 percent of men aged 12 or older have had a heart attack, compared to 2 percent of women.
1 in 3 Women Limited by Health Problems
Women feel more limited by health problems than men. 35 percent of women say they feel limited in activities they usually do, compared to 27 percent of men. The difference concerns non-serious limitations; serious limitations occur equally among women and men.
Women Less Healthy Than Male Peers
Women have more health problems than men. They are also on average slightly older. But even within the same age group, women are generally less healthy than men.
As many women as men under 25 say their health is generally good or very good. At older ages, differences appear: among women aged 45 to 65, 34 percent say they consider their health poor, compared to 27 percent of their male peers.
47 percent of women experience feelings of anxiety or depression, compared to 36 percent of men. Women experience this more often at all ages.
Especially women aged 25 to 45 more often have limitations due to their health. 29 percent of women compared to 19 percent of men.
Men
%
¹⁾ in the past four weeks
Women More Often Visit General Practitioners and Other Care Providers
The fact that women have more health complaints than men is also reflected in their greater use of healthcare. 72 percent of women had contact with a general practitioner at least once in the past twelve months, compared to 66 percent of men. Women also visit specialists, physiotherapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, or psychotherapists more often than men.
Men
%
¹⁾ in the past twelve months
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