Report Survey among Dutch people outside the Netherlands

To get an up-to-date impression of, among other things, the countries where Dutch people abroad are located, how long they have lived abroad, the reasons for their departure, and the most important topics that concern Dutch people abroad, the SNBN conducted a short survey in August 2024.

The response was fantastic! About 2,000 people responded. If you completed the survey, thank you so much!

Here are some initial graphs. We were particularly interested in how many more people than expected have been living outside the Netherlands for so long. The overview of countries and the reasons for departure match our expectations.

One of the survey questions concerned the economic influence of Dutch citizens abroad. Since this was an open-ended question, it's unfortunately not possible to create a simple graph. However, the answers will be used for a larger-scale study on the economic importance of Dutch citizens abroad. More on this will follow in a future newsletter.

The survey also included questions about the SNBN's most important action points and priorities. The key topics were:

• Lobbying for the interests of the 1 million Dutch people living outside the Netherlands

• Committed to retaining Dutch nationality

• Supporting and preserving the Dutch language and culture

• Assistance with applying for or maintaining a Dutch bank account and AOW (state pension).

  
  

These are precisely the issues the SNBN strongly supports, so we're pleased to be on the right track. Of course, we also need as much cooperation as possible from volunteers, input from other Dutch people outside the Netherlands, like you (for example, with surveys like this), or donations.

Therefore, thank you very much for completing the survey and for your cooperation in future activities with and for the 1 million Dutch people living abroad!

Contribution by Erica Waasdorp, Fundraising Committee