Healthy life expectancy varies widely between Amsterdam districts
In districts with many residents of low socioeconomic status, healthy life expectancy is up to fifteen years lower.
Amsterdammers live for an average of around sixty years in good health, according to new figures from the municipality and GGD Amsterdam. The differences between districts and socioeconomic groups are much greater than the citywide average suggests.
The Healthy Life Expectancy in Amsterdam 2015-2025 factsheet compares the years 2023 to 2025 with earlier periods. Healthy life expectancy at birth in the latest period was around sixty years for both men and women.
That is four years lower than in the 2019-2021 period. The researchers link the decline mainly to a deterioration in self-reported health. According to the factsheet, this development is more pronounced among people struggling to make ends meet and among young adults.
The differences within the city are substantial. In the Zuidoost district, average healthy life expectancy is nine years lower than in Zuid and Centrum. Compared with Weesp, the difference rises to ten years.
The difference is even greater between districts with many and few residents of low socioeconomic status. In the former group, healthy life expectancy at birth is up to fifteen years lower.
Healthy life expectancy is not the same as total life expectancy. The measure combines mortality figures with how people perceive their health. The figure therefore describes how many years people live on average without serious health limitations or perceived ill health, not when they die.
The researchers thus also warn against an overly simple explanation. The figures show a strong association between socioeconomic circumstances and health, but do not prove that any single factor causes the difference. Income, housing, work, living environment, use of healthcare and behaviour may influence one another.
The municipality and GGD use the figures as part of the Amsterdam Vitaal & Gezond programme. The challenge is not to base policy solely on the citywide average and also to take account of the neighbourhoods where disadvantage is greatest.
The figures are not an individual prediction. They say nothing about the health or lifespan of a specific Amsterdammer and are not a basis for medical conclusions about personal treatment.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Healthy life expectancy in Amsterdam fell according to the factsheet between 2019-2021 and 2023-2025.
- There are substantial differences between districts and socioeconomic groups.
- The figures are group averages and do not prove individual causes.
Left
Arguments The differences point to structural inequality in income, housing, work and access to healthy conditions. The municipality and national government should invest more strongly in disadvantaged neighbourhoods and prevention.
Values Equality, solidarity and the right to a healthy living environment.
Consequences That may require long-term public investment and redistribution, but could reduce health inequalities and pressure on healthcare.
Centre
Arguments Targeted policy should be based on reliable neighbourhood data and developed together with residents. Health is connected to multiple domains, making cooperation between healthcare, education, housing and the municipality necessary.
Values Effectiveness, institutional cooperation and equal opportunities.
Consequences A gradual approach with measurable goals can prevent waste, but may produce clear results only after several years.
Right
Arguments The government should reduce health inequalities without constantly telling people how they should live. The emphasis should be on safety, work, education and room for local initiatives.
Values Personal responsibility, community strength and an efficient government.
Consequences Less emphasis on paternalism may increase support, but without public investment existing differences between neighbourhoods may persist.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The figures, periods and geographical differences mentioned appear in the official Amsterdam factsheet. The text makes clear that these are group averages and associations, not individual medical predictions.
- confirmed Healthy life expectancy in Amsterdam was approximately sixty years for men and women in 2023-2025. — Confirmed by the O&S and GGD Amsterdam factsheet. source
- confirmed The average was four years lower than in 2019-2021. — Included in the factsheet's conclusions. source
- confirmed The difference between some socioeconomic groups is fifteen years. — Included in the factsheet's conclusions. source
- confirmed Healthy life expectancy is not the same as total life expectancy. — The measure combines lifespan with health status; the warning against individual interpretation follows from the nature of the statistic. source
Editor's note
The differences and periods come from the Amsterdam factsheet by O&S and GGD Amsterdam. The figures are population estimates and show associations; individual risks and causes cannot be inferred from them.Sources
- Gezonde levensverwachting in Amsterdam 2015-2025 — Gemeente Amsterdam, Onderzoek en Statistiek
- Gezondheid in cijfers — GGD Amsterdam
- Gezondheidsmonitor 2024 — Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek
More on this in Dutch media
- NOS — „amsterdam gezondheid”
- Het Parool — „amsterdam gezondheid”
- Trouw — „amsterdam gezondheid”