For several years now, residents of the municipality of Rotterdam have been found to be among the least happy in the Netherlands. Martijn Hendriks, deputy scientific director and associate professor at the Erasmus Happiness Economics Research Organisation (EHERO), explains why and offers suggestions on how Rotterdammers can become happier and what the government or the municipality can do about it.
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) asked a representative group of nearly 250,000 Dutch people to rate the extent to which they felt happy and satisfied with their lives. Martijn Hendriks linked those ratings to data on where the person lived. The result? Rotterdammers gave their own happiness a lower rating than people elsewhere in the Netherlands.
Besides Rotterdam, the top five least happy municipalities included the Netherlands’ two other largest cities (Amsterdam and The Hague) and two cities in South Limburg. The happiest municipalities in the Netherlands comprised villages in rural areas: think Hellendoorn or Wierden, both located in Overijssel.
Happier in the countryside, unless you are a young adult
'In urban areas, 85% of people are happy, compared to 89% of Dutch people in non-urban areas', says Martijn Hendriks. 'The paradox is that city dwellers are less happy, but the Netherlands is rapidly urbanising. The city is seen as more vibrant and less boring. The nightlife attracts young people. The result is that almost all population groups are happier outside the city, with the exception of young adults and high earners.'
Fixed conditions for happiness, but happiness is relative
Years of research have shown that there are some basic conditions for happiness. Top of the list are primary needs, such as enough food and drink, sleep and physical safety. This is followed by things like a roof over your head, psychological safety, health and financial security. Next comes social contact and finally self-actualisation: are you able to be yourself in your environment?
'However, happiness depends not only on your objective reality, but also on your own perception of this reality', explains Martijn Hendriks. 'Once your basic needs are met, happiness becomes more and more relative. How are you doing in relation to others and your own past? For example: you expect your child to be happy with an ice lolly, but if a sibling has a bigger ice lolly, the child is unhappy.'
City dwellers’ primary needs less likely to be met
Back to the city: the primary needs of city dwellers are less likely to be met. For example, they are more likely to live in poverty, are more likely to be unemployed and live in smaller living spaces. 'Another important reason is that relatively unhappy demographic groups, such as single people and people with a migration background, are more likely to live in cities', adds Martijn Hendriks. 'A third reason is the reduced sense of safety and security. And a fourth reason is the lesser social cohesion.'
Of the major cities in the Netherlands, the above is most true of Rotterdam. 'Of all the municipalities, Rotterdam has relatively the most poverty, the lowest life expectancy and – along with Amsterdam – the most loneliness. Rotterdammers also experience the least sense of safety and security.'
Rotterdam: make it happy
How can we ensure that Rotterdammers become happier? Should residents themselves take charge of their own happiness or is the government/municipality responsible for this?
'Municipalities can create the basic conditions to enable people to lead happy lives. After that, residents themselves have a key role when it comes to cashing in on these opportunities towards greater happiness. Strengthening happiness is therefore something that both the municipality and the residents themselves can exert influence on', explains Martijn Hendriks.
His advice to the municipality of Rotterdam: 'The most effective path to greater happiness is to focus on creating the basic conditions, so that vulnerable people are able to meet their basic needs themselves. If vulnerable people become happier as a result, everyone will benefit, because happier people become more productive and social and live healthier lives.'
Try to create an environment where you can be yourself and don’t compare yourself to others too much
Finally, he also has advice for residents: 'Try to create an environment where you can be yourself and do the things that intrinsically motivate you. These are crucial conditions for happiness. Also try to reflect regularly on what you’ve achieved and what you’re grateful for. Don’t compare yourself too much to others, like on social media, because you often only see their successes rather than their struggles. This makes you less happy with your own life.'
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Martijn Hendriks is part of Erasmus Happiness Economics Research Organisation (EHERO). EHERO's mission is to contribute to greater, balanced happiness for a greater number of people. They do not believe in prescribing a recipe or a set of rules or interventions that 'you shall comply with', but rather in a proven way to help people, governments or organisations make more considered choices themselves, which allows them to increase, strengthen or broaden happiness. They conduct participatory research with employers and help these employers transform into a happy organisation.
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