Netherlands

2025

2022

2018

The highest possible score for a country is 100, and the lowest is -15. You can expand the different sections below to understand how the score was calculated for each indicator.

Indicator scores

Anti-Discrimination Legislation Applicable to Education

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

Anti-LGBTQI Measures

The Constitution (1814, amended in 2008) includes a general prohibition of discrimination, including on the ground of “gender”. In 2020, the Second Chamber of Parliament adopted an amendment that would extend the prohibition to the ground of sexual orientation, which the First Chamber, also called the Senate, approved in 2021. The government clarified that GIGESC grounds are considered to be already covered under “gender”. Due to it being a constitutional change, the amendment must still be approved in second reading by a two-third majority of both houses before it becomes law.

The Equal Treatment Act (1994) prohibits discrimination in education. Until 2019, only sexual orientation was mentioned as a protected ground. In July 2019, the law was amended to also include GIGESC grounds.

The Security at Schools Act (2015) anti-bullying law mandates schools to tackle bullying by coming up with their own action plans, having a reporting system in place, monitoring students’ well-being, and tracking interventions.

A new education law was adopted by the Second Chamber of Parliament in November 2020 and the Senate in June 2021, making it mandatory for primary and secondary schools to provide students and teachers with a safe and accepting environment regardless of their sexual orientation, gender, or other grounds.

Policies and Action Plans

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

No anti-bullying policy or national action plan: 0/10 | Anti-bullying policy or national action plan covering one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

The Netherlands does not currently have a National Action Plan to promote LGBTQI equality in schools.

There was a national action plan to promote LGBTQI inclusion in schools as part of the LGBTI Action Plan (2018-2021) of the national government. In the government’s 2020 annual letter to parliament on its approach to discrimination, various focus areas were outlined, including a variety of measures to combat discrimination in education (especially in primary and secondary education), for example; the distribution of learning materials about themes such as diversity, stereotypes and discrimination, and the participation of schools in ‘Gender & Sexuality Alliances’ (in cooperation with LGBTQI associations).

The government has made significant steps to implement its commitments under the Rainbow Ballot Agreement - a list of necessary measures that political parties and LGBTQI civil society agreed on in 2017. A new Rainbow Ballot Agreement, including a paragraph on education, was signed by ten political parties in March 2021.

In 2019, a draft action plan was presented by the government to counter anti-LGBTQI hate crimes, but it lacked specific measures and only listed what had been achieved so far. In 2020, local civil society organisations Transgenger Network Netherlands (TNN) and COC presented a draft to the government and another draft was tabled by opposition parties. No significant follow-up has taken place since.

In 2020, the Dutch Minister for Education, Culture and Science presented a National action plan for greater diversity and inclusion in higher education and research. The term “diversity” is interpreted broadly to refer to a range of characteristics, including sexual orientation and gender.

Inclusive Compulsory Education Curricula

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

No evidence of compulsory national curricula inclusive of LGBTQI people: 0/10 | The compulsory national curricula includes representation of one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

Education on respect for sexual diversity has been a mandatory part of the curriculum for primary and secondary schools since 2012, and for vocational schools since 2019. That being said, it is up to each individual school how they implement this in practice and therefore the quality of lessons greatly vary, with some schools entirely omitting them. Some sanctions are in place, but not always enforced. Trans and intersex issues are not explicitly covered in the guidelines for primary and secondary schools - only for vocational schools. Therefore, their inclusion is up to the discretion of each school. In the 2021 Rainbow Ballot Agreement, ten political parties promised to make the curriculum more inclusive.

In 2020, several orthodox schools were found to use anti-LGBTQI content in their curriculum and ask parents and students to sign anti-LGBTQI declarations before accepting children into their schools. The parliament’s response was firm - it demanded that the school governance abolishes these declarations. Yet, as of June 2021, some schools were still using them.

Students have reported feeling that CSE in schools is generally very heteronormative, with SOGIGESC components framed in opposition to what is “normal”.

Mandatory Teacher Training on LGBTQI Inclusion

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

No mention of SOGIGESC in the mandatory teacher training programme: 0/10 Mandatory teacher training program with mention of one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

Since 2018, sexual and gender diversity has been part of the national “knowledge base”, which the majority of teacher training programs need to be based on, but not all. Intersex issues are not explicitly mentioned.

School Environment and Partnerships

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

Hostile environment

Hostile school environment and no government partnership with civil society: -5/10 | There is no evidence of the government providing funding or working in partnership with civil society: 0/10 | The government provides funding and works in partnership with civil society to promote inclusive education for one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

The state is generally supportive of LGBTQI youth issues and makes available targeted funding for a range of NGOs. COC supports a Gender & Sexuality Alliances Network (GSA) in about 80 percent of Dutch high schools with government and private funding.

Despite this, LGBTQI people fall victims of hate crimes almost on a weekly basis. ECRI’s 2019 country report highlighted this alarming trend. Local trans organisation TNN found in 2020 that anti-trans discrimination cases continued to rise for the third year in a row. Intersex people continue to be medicalised and non-consensual surgeries have still not been banned.

Young LGBTQI people also commonly face discrimination and violence. A 2020 report found that young LGB people face twice as much online bullying as their heterosexual peers. They also experience high rates of mental health problems. Another report (2020) by NGO Movisie found that the number of LGBTI homeless young people is estimated to be between 900 - 2,000. Civil society warned about the lack of safe shelters.

In 2018, COC’s high school survey found that three out of four LGBT students hear hateful remarks or feel excluded by other students. LGBT students were five times more likely to experience loneliness than their peers. Almost half have also been verbally harassed. The SCP’s LGBT Monitor (2018) found that trans youth experienced more abuse and neglect at home than cisgender peers, and were twice as likely to be bullied in school. TNN found similar results in 2018.

A 2021 study with responses from 30,000 students found that at least one in four LGBTQI young people are bullied in school compared to 13% of cisgender straight peers.

The government provides funding and actively works in partnership with NGOs to promote LGBTQI inclusive education.

Legal Gender Recognition

/10

Legal gender recognition without self-determination

Legal gender recognition with self-determination (over 16)

Legal gender recognition with self-determination (under 16)

No gender recognition provisions: 0/10 | There are laws and provisions, but with legal/medical/psychological approval: 5/10 | There are laws for self-determination, but only for those over 16 years of age: 7,5/10 | There are laws on gender self-determination, including those under 16 years of age: 10/10

Legal gender recognition procedures are in place, but require an expert opinion from a psychiatrist or other doctor. LGR or name change are not available to anyone under 16. The outcome of the LGR reform process has been criticised by various interest groups within civil society and parents of transgender children, for failing trans youth. The latest proposed amendment (2021) sets out that minors under 16 would have to go through a court procedure, but without requiring “expert options”.

Non-binary gender markers have only been available through the courts and only a handful of trans and intersex people have taken this route. However, the government announced in 2020 that the national ID card will no longer register a person’s gender marker from 2024. In the new 2021 Rainbow Ballot Agreement, ten parties promise to make a non-binary gender marker available in official documents to anyone, without having to go to court.

In 2020, the Institute for Human Rights ruled in the case of a trans student that trans people cannot be discriminated against in their access to bathrooms.

Civil society have continued to lobby for the new LGR bill to be adopted, but the process has so far been stalled. The bill provides for LGR on the basis of self-determination and expert statements would no longer be required. However, gaps remain. First, those under 16 must go through a court procedure. Second, trans refugees need to present a birth certificate from their home countries. Third, married trans mothers are not granted automatic and presumed parenthood, contrary to how a cisgender father would be recognised.

Data Collection on Bullying and Harassment

7.5

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

There is no evidence of national or regional data collection on bullying and harassment in education environments, or SO, GIGE and SC are not specifically mentioned: 0/10 | National or regional data on bullying and harassment in education environments is collected and disaggregated for one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

Commissioned by the state, the Institute for Social Research (SCP) regularly collects and analyses data on the situation of LGBT people, but does not include intersex people. The monitor for 2020 has been postponed and the SCP monitor may be discontinued. In 2016 the Education Inspectorate has also conducted research on LGBT issues, including inclusion in curricula, but their research is not systemic and regular. Schools must gather data on social safety, but are not obliged to include LGBTQI perspectives. Most schools are part of the government platform “Windows on education”, which facilitates social safety school surveys.

Civil society also gathers data, including on school bullying (see under School environment).

Support Systems for LGBTQI Young People

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

There is no evidence of support systems specifically designed for LGBTQI learners: 0/10 | Direct or indirect support systems are provided by schools or local authorities, but the providers lack training in LGBTQI-related issues: 0/10 | Direct or indirect support systems are provided by schools or local authorities for one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

The Safety at Schools law (see under Anti-discrimination Legislation) sets out that schools need to provide support to students who have experienced bullying. There has been no research available on the extent and quality of such support.

With the help of state support, some NGOs (COC Netherlands, Movisie, TNN) provide counseling, helplines, peer support, and information to LGBTQI learners. For instance, COC launched an app in 2020, where young LGBTQI people can safely meet online. COC also supports a Gender & Sexuality Alliance Network (GSA), active in about 80 percent of Dutch high schools. Other NGOs, such as trans organisation TNN provide information to trans people on their platforms: LGBTI+ Support launched a counseling hotline in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which later merged into Switchboard. In February 2021, TNN and Transvisie launched a helpline for trans and gender diverse youth, called Genderpraatjes.

Information and Guidelines

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

Anti-LGBTQI Measures

Policies prohibiting the presence of LGBTQI-related information are in place: -5/10 | Schools are not required to adopt inclusive education guidelines: 0/10 | Information or guidelines for LGBTQI inclusion adopted by schools that mention one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

The School & Safety Foundation, the Ministry of Education, and the education councils of primary, secondary, and vocational education, jointly developed an online knowledge hub to support students and teachers in regard to ‘sexual and gender diversity’. The website offers information, lesson plans, and helpful tips, and includes most NGO materials too.

In 2020, COC launched the GSA Onderwijsstandaard (GSA Standard for Education), an interactive online checklist with which schools can monitor and evaluate their performance on LGBTI education, support, and policy. Both teachers and students can fill out the survey. The Standard is a concrete translation of the requirements laid out in legislation and national regulations.

International Commitments

/10

Member of the European Governmental LGBTI Focal Points Network

Ratified the UNESCO Ministerial Call to Action

Neither Member in the EFPN or ratification of the UNESCO Call for Action: 0/10 | Member of the EFPN or ratification of the UNESCO Call for Action: 5/10 | Member of the EFPN and ratification of the UNESCO Call for Action: 10/10

The Netherlands has ratified eight of the nine core UN treaties, including the ICESCR and the CRC, which enshrine the right to education. The Netherlands is a member of the European Governmental LGBTI Focal Points Network (as of November 2020) and has signed the 2016 UNESCO Call for Action. In 2020, the Netherlands reaffirmed its support for LGBTQI rights globally, naming LGBTQI human rights as one of its seven priorities in the provision of international development aid.

View the map scored by indicator

Grounds of discrimination

Here is the country's score for each ground of discrimination on which we based our observations for 8 of the 10 indicators presented above.

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

See the map scored by ground of discrimination

Country score evolution

2025

67.5

/100

2022

67.5

/100

2018

67.5

/100

To enable a meaningful comparison of country progress over time, we have retroactively aligned the scoring systems used in the 2018 and 2022 Editions of IGLYO’s LGBTQI Inclusive Education Index with the updated 2025 scoring criteria. While each edition of the research has built on the previous one, reflecting evolving standards and priorities in inclusive education, minor changes to indicators and scoring weights were introduced in 2022 and 2025 to improve clarity, consistency, and comprehensiveness.
‍
By recalculating the earlier scores according to the 2025 framework, we have tried to ensure comparability across all three editions and provide a more accurate picture of progress, stagnation, or regression in each country’s approach to LGBTQI-inclusive education. For this reason, you might find some scores in the PDF Report & Index 2018 and 2022 differing from those on the Education website for these two years.

Good practices

[data-wf-bgvideo-fallback-img] { display: none; } @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) { [data-wf-bgvideo-fallback-img] { position: absolute; z-index: -100; display: inline-block; height: 100%; width: 100%; object-fit: cover; } }