Acceptance of homosexuality among young people in the Netherlands has fallen sharply in recent years, with the decline particularly pronounced among boys. The proportion of secondary-school students with a positive attitude towards homosexuality has dropped from 59% in 2021 to 37% in 2025, according to the latest Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study.
The findings come from the 2025 HBSC study by Utrecht University and the Trimbos Institute, which surveys a nationally representative group of pupils in the final year of primary school and secondary-school students aged 11 to 16. The research is conducted every four years and covers young people’s health and wellbeing, including relationships and sexual health.
Sharp decline among boys and girls
The decline is particularly striking among boys. In secondary education, the proportion with a positive attitude towards homosexuality fell from 40% in 2021 to 22% in 2025. Among girls, the figure dropped from 78% to 51%.
The 2025 figures are not only below the 2021 levels, but also below those recorded in 2017 for both boys and girls in secondary education.
The decline is also reflected in young people’s perceptions of whether homosexuality can be openly discussed at school. In 2021, 60% of secondary-school pupils said that a gay or lesbian student could be open about their sexual orientation at school. By 2025, that figure had fallen to 45%.
Among boys, it dropped from 54% to 37%, while among girls it fell from 66% to 53%.
Girls remain considerably more accepting
Overall, 36.5% of secondary-school students in the 2025 survey were classified as having a positive attitude towards homosexuality, compared with 59.1% in 2021. Among primary-school pupils, the figure was 42.1%.
The research also shows a persistent gender gap. Girls were considerably more likely than boys to have positive attitudes towards homosexuality. In secondary education, 51.3% of girls had a positive attitude, compared with 22.3% of boys.
The researchers also asked pupils about specific situations. Some 60% of secondary-school students said that gay young people could be their friends. At the same time, 40% said they found it disgusting when two girls kissed, while 46% said the same about two boys kissing. By comparison, 11% found a boy and a girl kissing disgusting.
School level makes a major difference
Attitudes varied considerably by school level. Among secondary-school pupils, 46% of those in pre-university education (vwo) had a positive attitude towards homosexuality, compared with 28% among students in the lower vocational track (vmbo-b/k).
The gap was similarly visible when pupils were asked whether a gay or lesbian student could be open about their sexuality at school: 58% of vwo students said this was possible, compared with 29% of vmbo-b/k students.
Young people with a migration background were also less likely to report positive attitudes towards homosexuality than those without one. The study found that 31% of young people with a migration background had a positive attitude, compared with 40% among those without one.
They were also less likely to believe that gay or lesbian students could be open about their sexual orientation at school.
Fewer Dutch teenagers are having sex
The HBSC study also recorded changes in sexual behaviour. Just 6.3% of secondary-school students aged 12 to 16 said they had ever had sex in 2025.
This represents a continued long-term decline: the figure was 16.4% in 2001, 9.8% in 2017 and 9.6% in 2021. The researchers say the 2025 figure is lower than in all previous HBSC measurements, although changes in the composition of the sample mean that comparisons with years before 2017 need to be treated with caution.
Among students who had had sex, 51% said a condom had been used the last time, while 49% said they or their partner had used the contraceptive pill. Some 27% reported using both a condom and the pill.
These figures have remained broadly stable since 2017.
COC concerned about changing attitudes
The findings on homosexuality have prompted concern from COC Nederland, which works on LGBTQIA+ acceptance and safety in schools. The organisation has previously warned about difficulties around LGBTQIA+ visibility among young people and has called for greater support for pupils, teachers and schools.
COC supports Gender & Sexuality Alliances (GSAs), student groups that work towards safer and more inclusive schools.
Acceptance falls back to levels seen around 2009
The new figures mark a substantial reversal of the trend recorded during the previous HBSC surveys. Between 2009 and 2021, the proportion of secondary-school students with positive attitudes towards homosexuality rose from 34% to 59%.
In 2025, it fell back to 36.5%, a level broadly comparable to the beginning of the period studied.
At the same time, the researchers stress that attitudes are not uniform among Dutch young people. Acceptance remains considerably higher among girls than boys, increases with age and varies substantially between educational tracks.
The findings therefore point to a broad deterioration in reported acceptance, while also showing significant differences between groups of young people.
