Foreigners face the highest levels of discrimination in the Netherlands according to new data from the European Union
New data from the European statistics office 'Eurostat' shows that foreign residents in the Netherlands experience discrimination more than foreigners in any other EU country.
The study, which was based on self-reported experiences, revealed that in 2024, 18% of foreigners in the Netherlands felt discriminated against in public places such as cafes, shops, and sports facilities. This percentage is the highest in the European Union, followed by Denmark and Austria. The European average was only 7.7%.
Non-EU foreigners indicated that they feel more discriminated against than EU citizens residing in the Netherlands—19.3% compared to 13.2%.
Foreigners also felt discrimination in the housing market, with 13.7% of those born abroad in the Netherlands stating that they were not treated fairly when searching for housing, which is slightly higher than the European average of 12.6%. Notably, citizens of EU countries reported higher discrimination in housing at a rate of 19.6% compared to foreigners from outside the EU at 12.1%.
The data showed that communication with government entities such as the municipality (gemeente) was also associated with a greater feeling of discrimination in the Netherlands compared to the EU average—14% versus 9.7%. Among those affected, 12.8% were EU citizens and 14.7% were from outside the EU.
In the field of education, 6.3% of foreign-born individuals in the Netherlands felt discriminated against, which is higher than the European average of 4.3%. Non-EU foreigners were more likely to feel discriminated against (6.8%) compared to citizens of EU countries (4.2%).
In June, the Dutch government announced the launch of a new "discrimination test" aimed at examining its policies and algorithms to ensure there is no racial bias or ethnic profiling.