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The Netherlands in a European Perspective.

How does the Netherlands compare with the other members of the European family? This issue of the Social and Cultural Report is devoted chiefly to answering that question. From how long we can expect to live to how much television we watch: from having the most part-time jobs to the least number of detached houses. The report portrays Dutch society and policy in a great variety of aspects including demography, economy, public administration, public participation and public opinion, health care, social security, education and leisure. The international comparison is largely limited to members of the EU, but sometimes includes other Western countries as well. Quite a number of family resemblances come to light - the Netherlands shares most of its trends and problems with other European welfare states. Yet some contemporary issues have taken on a distinctive profile in the Netherlands and these have been given special attention in this report.