Health in Drenthe, Netherlands: official figures
Life expectancy at birth was 81.4 years in 2024 (81.9 for the Netherlands); 11th highest of 12 provinces in the Netherlands.
How far is the nearest GP in Drenthe?
In 2025, people in Drenthe lived an average of 1.6 km from a family doctor (huisarts), 2nd longest among the 12 provinces.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many GP practices are there in Drenthe?
The average resident of Drenthe had 2.5 GP practices within 3 km in 2025, against 7.7 nationally.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow far is the nearest hospital in Drenthe?
The nearest hospital was an average 8.9 km away for people in Drenthe in 2025, above the national figure of 7.2 km; that ranks 6th longest among the 12 provinces.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many hospitals are there near Drenthe?
An average resident of Drenthe had 1.3 hospitals within 20 km in 2025, compared with 4.3 nationally.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyWhere is the out-of-hours GP in Drenthe?
The nearest out-of-hours GP post (huisartsenpost) was on average 8.0 km from home in Drenthe in 2024, above the national figure of 7.0 km.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyWhat is the death rate in Drenthe?
Drenthe recorded 12.0 deaths per 1,000 residents in 2025, above the national figure of 9.6 (the highest among the 12 provinces).
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyWhat is the most common cause of death in Drenthe?
Cancer caused 27.7% of deaths among residents of Drenthe in 2024, above the national figure of 27.7%.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many people die of heart disease in Drenthe?
Heart and circulatory diseases accounted for 24.2% of deaths in Drenthe in 2024, against 22.2% nationally.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many elderly people live in Drenthe?
On 1 January 2026, 6.4% of residents of Drenthe were 80 or older, 3rd highest among the 12 provinces, up from 5.7% in 2020.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyWhat is the death rate in Drenthe?
The age-standardised death rate from all causes was 1,043.9 per 100,000 people in 2021 (the Netherlands: 1,011.7; EU: 1,073.4); 3rd highest of 10 provinces in Netherlands. Age-standardised rates allow fair comparison between places with older and younger populations.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people die of cancer in Drenthe?
The age-standardised cancer death rate was 263.7 per 100,000 in 2023, against 247.6 for the Netherlands as a whole and 233.1 across the EU; the highest of 12 provinces in Netherlands. In 2015 it was 286.4.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people die of heart disease in Drenthe?
Heart and circulatory diseases caused 236.6 deaths per 100,000 in 2023 (age-standardised), against 220.6 for the Netherlands as a whole and 312.9 across the EU; the highest of 12 provinces in Netherlands. In 2015 it was 277.2.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people die of respiratory disease in Drenthe?
Respiratory diseases caused 76.1 deaths per 100,000 in 2023 (age-standardised), against 81.0 for the Netherlands as a whole and 75.2 across the EU; 5th lowest of 12 provinces in Netherlands. In 2015 it was 85.7.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the suicide rate in Drenthe?
The age-standardised suicide rate was 10.3 per 100,000 in 2023, against 10.4 for the Netherlands as a whole and 10.4 across the EU; 5th lowest of 12 provinces in Netherlands. In 2015 it was 11.7.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people die in accidents in Drenthe?
Accidents, injuries, violence and other external causes killed 67.0 per 100,000 in 2023 (age-standardised), against 66.9 for the Netherlands as a whole and 49.4 across the EU; 4th highest of 12 provinces in Netherlands. In 2015 it was 49.9.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the infant mortality rate in Drenthe?
The infant mortality rate was 3.7 per 1,000 live births in 2024, against 3.3 for the Netherlands as a whole and 3.5 across the EU; 3rd highest of 12 provinces in Netherlands. In 2014 it was 3.0.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many doctors are there in Drenthe?
Drenthe had 313 physicians for every 100,000 residents in 2024, against 396 for the Netherlands as a whole; 6th lowest of 12 provinces in Netherlands.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people go to hospital in Drenthe?
Hospitals discharged 8,293 in-patients per 100,000 people in 2021 (the Netherlands: 7,377); the highest of 10 provinces in Netherlands. In 2012 it was 12,594.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people die on the roads in Drenthe?
There were 55 road deaths per million people in 2024, against 37 for the Netherlands as a whole; the highest of 12 provinces in Netherlands. In 2014 it was 53.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is life expectancy for men and women in Drenthe?
Women in Drenthe could expect to live to 82.7 and men to 80.0 at 2024 death rates, a gap of 2.7 years.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow long do people live after 65 in Drenthe?
People who reached 65 could expect 19.7 more years of life in 2024 (the Netherlands: 19.9).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow Drenthe compares with other provinces
Average road distance to a GP practice (km) (2025)
Drenthe ranks 2 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Average road distance to a GP practice (km) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Friesland (NL) | 1.6 km |
| 2 | Drenthe | 1.6 km |
| 3 | Zeeland | 1.5 km |
| 4 | Groningen | 1.3 km |
| 5 | Overijssel | 1.3 km |
| 6 | Flevoland | 1.3 km |
| 7 | Gelderland | 1.2 km |
Average road distance to a hospital (km) (2025)
Drenthe ranks 6 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Average road distance to a hospital (km) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Zeeland | 10.6 km |
| 4 | Groningen | 10.3 km |
| 5 | Overijssel | 9.0 km |
| 6 | Drenthe | 8.9 km |
| 7 | Gelderland | 8.8 km |
| 8 | North Brabant | 7.4 km |
| 9 | Limburg (NL) | 6.8 km |
Deaths per 1,000 residents (2025)
Drenthe ranks 1 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Deaths per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drenthe | 12.0 |
| 2 | Limburg (NL) | 12.0 |
| 3 | Zeeland | 11.3 |
| 4 | Friesland (NL) | 10.7 |
| 5 | Groningen | 10.5 |
| 6 | North Brabant | 10.1 |
| 7 | Gelderland | 10.0 |
Residents aged 80 or older (%) (2026)
Drenthe ranks 3 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Residents aged 80 or older (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zeeland | 6.9% |
| 2 | Limburg (NL) | 6.8% |
| 3 | Drenthe | 6.4% |
| 4 | Friesland (NL) | 6.2% |
| 5 | North Brabant | 5.6% |
| 6 | Gelderland | 5.5% |
| 7 | Overijssel | 5.4% |
Deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised, all causes) (2021)
Drenthe ranks 3 of 10, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised, all causes) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Groningen | 1,077.7 |
| 2 | Limburg (NL) | 1,066.2 |
| 3 | Drenthe | 1,043.9 |
| 4 | Flevoland | 1,032.6 |
| 5 | Overijssel | 1,029.9 |
| 6 | Friesland (NL) | 1,017.8 |
| 7 | Gelderland | 1,014.1 |
Cancer deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised) (2023)
Drenthe ranks 1 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Cancer deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drenthe | 263.7 |
| 2 | Groningen | 263.5 |
| 3 | Overijssel | 258.0 |
| 4 | Flevoland | 256.6 |
| 5 | Limburg (NL) | 249.4 |
| 6 | Gelderland | 248.6 |
| 7 | North Brabant | 248.6 |
Heart and circulatory deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised) (2023)
Drenthe ranks 1 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Heart and circulatory deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drenthe | 236.6 |
| 2 | Groningen | 233.8 |
| 3 | Friesland (NL) | 233.4 |
| 4 | North Brabant | 230.6 |
| 5 | Gelderland | 229.2 |
| 6 | Overijssel | 228.4 |
| 7 | Flevoland | 228.2 |
Respiratory deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised) (2023)
Drenthe ranks 8 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Respiratory deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | North Brabant | 81.7 |
| 6 | South Holland | 80.3 |
| 7 | Gelderland | 80.3 |
| 8 | Drenthe | 76.1 |
| 9 | North Holland | 75.8 |
| 10 | Flevoland | 71.7 |
| 11 | Utrecht | 71.0 |
Suicides per 100,000 (age-standardised) (2023)
Drenthe ranks 8 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Suicides per 100,000 (age-standardised) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | North Brabant | 11.3 |
| 6 | North Holland | 10.7 |
| 7 | Overijssel | 10.6 |
| 8 | Drenthe | 10.3 |
| 9 | Gelderland | 9.2 |
| 10 | South Holland | 8.9 |
| 11 | Utrecht | 8.3 |
Deaths from accidents, injury and violence per 100,000 (2023)
Drenthe ranks 4 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Deaths from accidents, injury and violence per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Holland | 72.2 |
| 2 | South Holland | 69.0 |
| 3 | Groningen | 68.6 |
| 4 | Drenthe | 67.0 |
| 5 | Limburg (NL) | 64.3 |
| 6 | Gelderland | 64.2 |
| 7 | North Brabant | 63.5 |
Infant deaths per 1,000 live births (2024)
Drenthe ranks 3 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Infant deaths per 1,000 live births |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Holland | 3.9 |
| 2 | Groningen | 3.7 |
| 3 | Drenthe | 3.7 |
| 4 | Flevoland | 3.7 |
| 5 | Gelderland | 3.5 |
| 6 | Utrecht | 3.4 |
| 7 | North Brabant | 3.2 |
Doctors per 100,000 people (2024)
Drenthe ranks 7 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Doctors per 100,000 people |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Gelderland | 403 |
| 5 | South Holland | 393 |
| 6 | Limburg (NL) | 383 |
| 7 | Drenthe | 313 |
| 8 | Overijssel | 290 |
| 9 | North Brabant | 282 |
| 10 | Friesland (NL) | 246 |
Hospital in-patient discharges per 100,000 (2021)
Drenthe ranks 1 of 10, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Hospital in-patient discharges per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drenthe | 8,293 |
| 2 | Limburg (NL) | 8,084 |
| 3 | Zeeland | 7,901 |
| 4 | Groningen | 7,833 |
| 5 | Friesland (NL) | 7,577 |
| 6 | Overijssel | 7,535 |
| 7 | North Brabant | 7,535 |
Road deaths per million people (2024)
Drenthe ranks 1 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Road deaths per million people |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drenthe | 55 |
| 2 | Friesland (NL) | 53 |
| 3 | Gelderland | 50 |
| 4 | Zeeland | 48 |
| 5 | Overijssel | 46 |
| 6 | North Brabant | 43 |
| 7 | Groningen | 40 |
More on Drenthe: overview · economy and jobs · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · government and politics · the Netherlands
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_mlifexp: Life expectancy at birth, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 62800ed9bbb3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset tran_r_acci: Victims in road accidents by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a183ad1f888d…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_minfind: Infant mortality rates by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 60cbafea3657…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_co_disch2t: Hospital discharges by diagnosis and NUTS 2 region (in-patients), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d93487a1c1f9…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_cd_asdr2: Causes of death: standardised death rate by NUTS 2 region of residence, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 308c4b705d5d…)
- Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS): Regionale kerncijfers Nederland (table 70072ned): provinces, COROP areas and selected municipalities, 2014-2026, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d2b63aac3a26…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_mlifexp: Life expectancy by age, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f5a2a33406b9…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_rs_physreg: Physicians by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4ff68eb77f8b…)
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