Quarter of NL population sees drug use or dealing in their area

Almost a quarter of the population of the Netherlands over the age of 15 has said that they witness drug use or drug dealing in their neighbourhood, according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS). 

Drug-related incidents in the Netherlands

As part of the Security Monitor (Veiligheidsmonitor) 2019, CBS surveyed 135.000 people in the Netherlands aged 15 and above. Participants were asked questions about, among other topics, whether they experienced drug-related problems in their neighbourhoods. 

The survey revealed that, in 2019, 24,3 percent of those surveyed indicated that drug use or dealing (sometimes) occurred in their area. Around four percent of participants stated they experienced significant drug-related disturbances. 

Almost half of those who indicated they experienced a significant amount of drug-related incidents also stated that their neighbourhood had deteriorated in terms of liveability in the past 12 months. 

Areas with the most disturbances

Unsurprisingly, those living in larger Dutch cities, for example Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, experience more drug-related disturbances. In the Dutch capital, the most affected neighbourhood was the Red Light District, where 78,8 percent of those surveyed said they witnessed drug use or drug trafficking, followed by the Jordaan (59,7 percent). 

In Rotterdam, the most affected areas were Centrum (61,8 percent), Delfshaven (54,4 percent), and Charlois (49,9 percent). In The Hague, it was Hoefkade (52,4 percent), Jan Hendrikstraat (51,4 percent), and De Heemstraat (50 percent). 

Outside of the Randstad, areas along the Belgian and German borders reported an above-average number of drug-related incidents. The areas that most affected were the centre of Tilburg (47,8 percent), Kerkrade (50,2 percent), and Utrecht-Noord (44,6 percent).