Increasingly more adults drink no alcohol, or no more than one glass per day. Where in 2012, 38 percent drank little or none, this percentage rose to 45 percent in 2024. This is evident from the Health Monitor for Adults and the Elderly 2024. This is a large survey research into the physical and mental health as well as lifestyle of residents aged 18 and older. The research was conducted by the RIVM, the GGD Municipal Health Service (Municipal Health Service)’s, and the CBS Central Bureau of Statistics (Central Bureau of Statistics).
Almost half of adults meet the guideline from the Health Council: do not drink, or no more than one glass per day. People with a hbo higher professional education (higher professional education)- or university degree, young people aged 18-34, and men meet the guideline less often than average. Of all participants in the study, 22 percent drank no alcohol at all in the past year. This picture corresponds with earlier presented figures from the Health Survey/Lifestyle Monitor 2024.
Smoking and Exercise
The research also looked at smoking and exercise. The National Prevention Agreement (2018) aims for less than five percent of adult smokers by 2040. The percentage of adults who smoke has been declining for years, but since 2020 at a slower rate. Nationally, it is sixteen percent. Furthermore, this monitor shows that on average 49 percent of adults meet the exercise guidelines from the Health Council. On average, 57% of adults exercise weekly. This is an increase compared to 2020, when 51% exercised weekly.
About the Research
The Health Monitor for Adults and the Elderly was conducted between September and December 2024. Nearly half a million people in the Netherlands aged 18 and older filled out a questionnaire about their health, well-being, lifestyle, and living environment. More results from the Health Monitor for Adults and the Elderly are described on VZinfo (external link)and RIVM Statline (external link).
Information about the Health Monitors can be found at www.rivm.nl/gezondheidsmonitors. The results help municipalities and policymakers to work effectively towards better health.
Read the full press release on the website of GGD GHOR Nederland (external link)