Catalina Espinosa
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Europe and the EU
LGBTQIA+ in the Netherlands- Statistics & Facts
LGBTQIA+ is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, and more. The Netherlands, known as one of the most accepting countries of LGBTQIA+ worldwide, was the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage on the 1st of April 2001. Before that, same-sex couples could begin to register for partnerships on the 1st of January 1998, as a substitute for recognizing same-sex couples by law.
A further reason the Netherlands is known for its acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community is the annual Amsterdam Gay Pride event, a festival celebrating the queer community where hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to every year.
In 2020, around 83 percent of the Dutch population over the age of 16 considered themselves to be heterosexual, compared to three percent that identified as homosexual or lesbian, and 2.6 percent that considered themselves bisexual.
In line with the previously mentioned support for the LGBTQIA+ community, a vast majority of the Dutch population were opposed to abolishing gay marriage. In 2020, 84 percent said that they disagree with the statement that gay marriage should be abolished, compared to only five percent who agreed that it should be abolished. Over time, the share of people who seek to abolish gay marriage has diminished significantly, as it fell from 16 percent in 2007 to five percent in 2020.
Despite generally favorable views of the LGBTQIA+ community, many within the community still experience discrimination. In 2021, over 700 hate crimes were recorded by the police in the Netherlands, keeping in mind that many hate crimes and instances of discrimination go unrecorded and unreported, indicating that the number of hate crimes could be significantly higher. Some members of the community also experienced discrimination at work, with 0.4 percent of employees responding that they felt discriminated at work due to their sexual orientation or preference.
Furthermore, five percent of respondents from a survey in 2020 would have a problem if their child's teacher was gay, compared to nine percent if that teacher was transgender. In the same survey, two percent believed homosexual men and lesbian women should not be allowed to live their life the way they want to, while four percent would break up a friendship if the friend would want to go undergo sex reassignment surgery. Just under a third of respondents said that everyone by nature is either a man or a woman, thus not acknowledging non-binary and intersex people.
A further reason the Netherlands is known for its acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community is the annual Amsterdam Gay Pride event, a festival celebrating the queer community where hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to every year.
In 2020, around 83 percent of the Dutch population over the age of 16 considered themselves to be heterosexual, compared to three percent that identified as homosexual or lesbian, and 2.6 percent that considered themselves bisexual.
Marriage
In 2021, just under 1,200 same-sex marriages took place in the Netherlands, compared to over 55,200 heterosexual marriages that took place in the same year. The number of same-sex marriages was highest in 2001, the year it was legalized. Of the approximately 1,200 same-sex marriages that took place in 2021, 665 were between men and 527 were between women. Apart from in 2001 and 2002, more marriages between two women occurred that between two men in every year recorded.In line with the previously mentioned support for the LGBTQIA+ community, a vast majority of the Dutch population were opposed to abolishing gay marriage. In 2020, 84 percent said that they disagree with the statement that gay marriage should be abolished, compared to only five percent who agreed that it should be abolished. Over time, the share of people who seek to abolish gay marriage has diminished significantly, as it fell from 16 percent in 2007 to five percent in 2020.
Discrimination
By law, those in the LGBTQIA+ community enjoy many rights, including discrimination protections, transgender and intersex rights, adoption, blood donation, and a ban on conversion therapy.Despite generally favorable views of the LGBTQIA+ community, many within the community still experience discrimination. In 2021, over 700 hate crimes were recorded by the police in the Netherlands, keeping in mind that many hate crimes and instances of discrimination go unrecorded and unreported, indicating that the number of hate crimes could be significantly higher. Some members of the community also experienced discrimination at work, with 0.4 percent of employees responding that they felt discriminated at work due to their sexual orientation or preference.
Furthermore, five percent of respondents from a survey in 2020 would have a problem if their child's teacher was gay, compared to nine percent if that teacher was transgender. In the same survey, two percent believed homosexual men and lesbian women should not be allowed to live their life the way they want to, while four percent would break up a friendship if the friend would want to go undergo sex reassignment surgery. Just under a third of respondents said that everyone by nature is either a man or a woman, thus not acknowledging non-binary and intersex people.
