OECD Cancer Profiles 2025: Where does the Netherlands stand in Europe?
How is the Netherlands performing in the fight against cancer? The European Cancer Country Profiles 2025, recently published by the OECD and the European Union, provide a detailed overview of how European countries are doing on cancer control — from incidence and mortality rates to prevention, screening, and healthcare spending.
The Dutch profile shows a mixed picture: the country offers excellent cancer care and has high survival rates, yet it also ranks among the countries with the highest cancer incidence in Europe. Rising healthcare costs, persistent health inequalities, and concerning lifestyle trends call for thoughtful and long-term effective policy.
“Reliable data and analyses are essential to help countries assess where they stand in tackling cancer and to invest in effective and efficient measures,” says Gijs Geleijnse, co-chair of the European Network of Cancer Registries (ENCR).
High number of new diagnoses in the Netherlands
The country profiles are based on data through 2022. In that year, the Netherlands had one of the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates in the EU. For men, the age-standardised incidence was 710 new diagnoses per 100,000 people; for women, 589 — well above the EU averages of 684 for men and 488 for women.
Several factors contribute to the relatively high cancer rates in the Netherlands. The population is ageing — not only are there more older people, but they are living longer. In addition, fewer people are dying from cardiovascular diseases thanks to improved treatment, which makes other causes of death, such as cancer, relatively more prominent. Particularly concerning is the high rate of lung cancer in women, mainly due to smoking behaviour in past decades.
High cancer mortality
A high number of diagnoses also means that many people die from cancer. In the Netherlands, 256 people per 100,000 died of cancer, compared to the EU average of 235. Lung cancer alone accounts for at least 20% of all cancer deaths. Still, that high mortality figure must be viewed in context. The Netherlands has excellent cardiovascular care, resulting in fewer deaths from heart disease than in many other countries — making cancer a more prominent cause of death. Between 2011 and 2021, cancer mortality declined sharply in the Netherlands, and faster than in most EU countries, mainly due to improved diagnostics and new treatments.
Strong cancer care system
The Netherlands ranks among the top-performing countries in Europe when it comes to cancer care. This is due in part to specialised oncology networks, a strong healthcare infrastructure, and broad access to treatment. Five-year survival rates have improved across all five cancer types studied, placing the Netherlands among the EU leaders.
But the outlook raises concerns
- Cancer reduces life expectancy in the Netherlands by 2.5 years, compared to the EU average of 1.9 years.
- According to OECD projections, the share of healthcare spending devoted to cancer will rise to 2.5% between 2023 and 2050 — above the EU average of 1.9%.
- Psychological strain is also increasing: people living with or after cancer more often experience fear of recurrence, fatigue, and symptoms of depression.
Costs rising faster than elsewhere
In 2022, the Netherlands spent €4,530 per capita on healthcare. At the same time, there is still significant room for improvement: preventable cancer deaths and lost years of life remain considerable — offering opportunities for cost-saving prevention and early detection.
Prevention: solid foundation, but challenges remain
The Netherlands performs relatively well on several behaviour-related risk factors:
- Daily smoking and alcohol use are below the EU average.
- HPV vaccination coverage is slightly above average.
Still, there are significant concerns:
- Overweight rates among women with low education are strikingly high: over 70% are overweight, compared to 46% among highly educated women.
- Smoking and vaping among young people are on the rise again. Among 11–15-year-olds, the Netherlands scores above the EU average for smoking, drunkenness, and overweight. One especially troubling trend is the persistently high rate of lung cancer in women — a delayed effect of increased smoking rates among women in the 20th century, partly tied to emancipation.
Tobacco prevention still holds enormous potential. Recent estimates by IKNL show that a smoke-free generation could prevent 120,000 cancer diagnoses in the next 30 years, including 90,000 cases of lung cancer.
Early detection: participation declining, inequality growing
The Netherlands has well-organised national screening programmes for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer. However, participation in these programmes has declined in recent years:
- Participation in breast cancer screening: down 9 percentage points
- Participation in cervical cancer screening: down 19 percentage points
People with a migration background or lower socioeconomic status are particularly underrepresented. This undermines the effectiveness of population screening. The Netherlands is already investing in targeted outreach, but more is needed — including innovations such as self-sampling and personalised invitations.
Long-term challenges: more survivors, but more inequality
The number of people living with and after cancer is among the highest in Europe, partly thanks to effective treatment and longer survival. But this also brings new challenges:
- More mental health issues: living with and after cancer strongly affects quality of life
- Barriers to returning to work and reintegration
- Growing pressure on GPs and support services
Socioeconomic inequalities
People with lower socioeconomic status face worse outcomes: they are more likely to develop cancer and more likely to die from it — and sooner. This is due to less healthy lifestyles and a higher prevalence of comorbidities, which complicate cancer treatment. For example, five-year survival among people with low income is 10% lower than among those with high income. This trend is seen across many European countries.
Conclusion
The cancer profile for the Netherlands offers clear insights: it combines top-tier care with one of the heaviest cancer burdens in Europe. While treatment continues to improve, the future hinges on:
- More targeted prevention, especially for young people and vulnerable groups
- Reducing health inequalities in risk and access to care
- Renewed focus on early detection through tailored outreach
- Structural support for survivors — mentally, socially, and economically
Cancer is becoming a chronic condition for more and more people. This demands an adaptive, forward-looking strategy. The Dutch Cancer Agenda offers a strong foundation: 20 actionable goals based on data-driven insights.