Happy Nations #5: Netherlands

Here is how the Netherlands compares to the United States in each of the six factors for Happiness:

GDP: 1.945 v 1.982
Social Support: 1.206 v 1.182
Healthy Life Expectancy: 0.787 v 0.628
Freedom to Make Life Choices: 0.651 v 0.574
Generosity: 0.271 v 0.220
Perceptions of Corruption: 0.419 v 0.177

As we enter the top five, we find our most generous nation.

Other Scoring Systems

It was a solid performance all around. It does not top anywhere, but there is nothing to raise an eyebrow at.

Health Care

The Netherlands is #5 in Quality of Care and #3 Overall, and #11 in Health Security.

The Dutch healthcare system shares many standard features with Germany’s. It is a system of “managed competition,” in which multiple private insurers compete for market share based on price and quality.

Anyone living or working in the Netherlands must obtain basic-level health insurance (with or without additional coverage) from a Dutch provider.

Their parent’s insurance automatically covers under-18s, and health care allowances are in place for the lowest earners to access mandatory insurance.

The uninsured are fined, and their insurance premiums may be levied directly from their income. People who conscientiously object to insurance can opt out by making mandatory contributions to a health savings account.

Climate

Amsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands. Its climate does not change too dramatically, as it is smaller than West Virginia.

Amsterdam is nearly identical to Dublin, Ireland. It is windy, with narrow bands of temperatures and relatively little snow.

Cost of Living

The Netherlands generally is less expensive to live in than the United States.

However, comparing Saint Louis, MO, to Amsterdam, we see that living there will cost 10% more.

Language

The official language of the Netherlands is Dutch, and almost everyone speaks it. However, the country is also #1 in English language proficiency, with over 93% of the population speaking English.

Acceptance of Others

Netherlands has a relatively positive acceptance of LGBTI+; 59% of the Dutch think the government effectively combats prejudice.

The Netherlands, however, does have a sense of being closed off from immigrants. Only 12% think immigration is strengthening the country. Furthermore, they ranked 9th in a survey on trust, life satisfaction, and opinions on immigration in 15 European countries.

Ethnic minorities still face racism in the Netherlands.

Moving Feasibility

The Netherlands has many of the exact visa requirements that we have seen in other countries on this list. I will skip over these and look at the Dutch American Friendship Treaty.

The treaty allows US Entrepreneurs to acquire Dutch residency to start a business.

You must be specialized in a field.
You must have personal work experience.
You must have a business plan.
You must be able to invest at least €4500 in the Dutch economy.

This sounds like the most realistic scenario yet.

Conclusion

The Netherlands looks like a similar option to Ireland, with perhaps a more accessible entry point. However, I wish it were warmer, and I didn’t have to learn a new language.