Multiple sources confirm that performance pressure has been rising for years. During the coronavirus pandemic, stress increased further due to uncertainty, online lessons and learning delays. CBS shows that young people experienced significantly more stress and performance pressure in 2021 than before the pandemic, with school-related pressure and fear of falling behind being the biggest triggers.
After the pandemic, the pressure did not subside; on the contrary. The Youth Monitor 2024 shows that young adults still report performance pressure at around 55%. The 2023 Youth Health Monitor also indicates that performance pressure remains high in all regions, with no signs of recovery.
It is becoming increasingly clear that performance pressure is no longer a temporary phenomenon, but a structural problem. Young people feel tension throughout the year due to an increasingly intensive testing culture, higher expectations, social comparison and pressure from home.
In short: performance pressure is not a peak but a lasting trend that has not declined after the pandemic. This makes the Netherlands Performance Pressure Monitor 2026 more urgent than ever.
The key findings at a glance
- Performance pressure has nearly tripled since 2001: From 16% (2001) to 47% (2025) among students who experience regular or considerable pressure from schoolwork.
- Girls consistently experience more pressure than boys: 52.2% of girls versus 37.4% of boys.
- Pre-university and senior general secondary students experience more pressure from schoolwork than pre-vocational secondary students: Due to pressure to advance, testing intensity and high performance levels.
- Large regional differences: Performance pressure ranges from 50% to 61.3% between GGD regions.
The silent performance pressure epidemic
From having to achieve high grades to choosing the “perfect” follow-up education, more and more young people in the Netherlands are experiencing pressure. Parents often only truly feel the consequences when they observe or participate in the process. According to the Netherlands Youth Institute (NJi), 61% of young people aged 12 to 30 say they regularly or often experience performance pressure (3).
Among students in secondary education, for example 16-year-olds, this percentage is just over 50%: the NJi cites 51.3% of 16-year-olds.
It is not only the amount of pressure that matters, but also its nature: young people indicate that they mainly put the pressure on themselves (74%), but that school (40%) and parents (32%) also play a role.
This means that performance pressure is not simply an individual problem; it is a societal signal. As Anita Kraak of the NJi puts it: “The balance has been lost. We need to let go of the idea that everything can be shaped and accept that the future is also uncertain.”
Breakdown by region, age, gender and educational level
Region
The differences between regions are considerable. Between GGD regions, the proportion of young people experiencing high performance pressure ranges from 50% to over 61%. In some regions, almost two-thirds of young people therefore experience structural pressure.
Top 3 highest levels of performance pressure (GGD regions):
- Amsterdam – 61.3%
- Groningen – 60.6%
- Haaglanden – 59.6%
Top 3 lowest levels of performance pressure:
- Zeeland – 50.0%
- IJsselland – 50.7%
- Twente – 51.3%
Age
The 2023 Youth Health Monitor shows that performance pressure clearly increases as young people grow older. Young people aged 12–14 mainly report internal pressure (“I have to do well”), while students aged 15–16 more often talk about pressure from tests, subject choices and preparation for the examination year.
The NJi also shows that more than half of 16-year-olds regularly or often experience performance pressure. This increase coincides with the years in which the number of testing moments, PTA schedules and pressure to progress increases sharply.
Key point: the most vulnerable age group (15–16 years) is precisely the group that faces the most test pressure and stress about choices.
Gender
According to CBS, girls experience significantly more performance pressure than boys. Girls more often report stress related to school results, social expectations and perfectionism—patterns that also recur in later measurements.
Boys do experience pressure, but more often indicate that it is specifically linked to particular subjects or testing moments.
Educational level
Both NJi data and GGD GHOR research show clear differences by type of education:
- Pre-university students experience high structural performance pressure, partly due to high expectations regarding subsequent education and intensive testing programmes.
- Senior general secondary students report the highest performance pressure and motivation problems: they feel pressure to do “just well enough”, while at the same time experiencing less autonomy.
- Pre-vocational secondary students experience relatively less structural pressure than pre-university students, but more pressure from their home environment and stress surrounding the transition to senior secondary vocational education.
These patterns correspond with the national figures in the Youth Health Monitor: the more demanding the educational pathway, the higher the perceived pressure.
Causes of performance pressure
The combined data from the NJi, RIVM/GGD, VZinfo and CBS show that performance pressure among young people does not have a single cause, but arises from a complex interplay of school, social environment and personal factors. The sources are notably consistent about which factors carry the greatest weight.
- Overloaded testing schedules
- Self-created pressure/perfectionism
- Social comparison (TikTok/Instagram)
- High expectations at home
- Uncertainty about future educational pathways
- Too little rest and too many stimuli
- Shadow education culture (private tutoring norm)
Although not explicitly mentioned in a single dataset, NJi and GGD reports indicate that young people are increasingly faced with private tutoring, exam preparation courses and additional classes. This contributes to the feeling that “everyone else is also doing something extra”, causing performance standards to rise even further.
In short: the problem does not lie in one single factor. It is structural.
Solutions according to students and parents
Despite the increased performance pressure, young people and parents are remarkably unanimous about what does help. The solutions lie partly with schools, but also at home and in how young people themselves learn to deal with expectations.
1. Practising without grade pressure
Multiple studies show that young people benefit most from practising without assessment. Formative learning feels safe: mistakes are part of the process, not evidence of being “not good enough”.
2. Fewer testing moments, more predictability
Unpredictability is one of the biggest sources of stress. Students ask for fewer spontaneous tests, more preparation time and clear expectations. Well-organised testing schedules noticeably reduce pressure.
3. Better balance: rest, planning and less overload
A full timetable, constant online stimuli and a lack of structure increase pressure. Moments of rest, planning and achievable goals help young people recover more effectively.
4. More room for conversation and support
Young people experience less pressure when mentors, teachers and parents talk openly about stress. A non-judgemental conversation has an immediate reducing effect.
5. Clear and realistic expectations from parents
32% experience pressure from home. Parents can help by adjusting expectations, normalising failure, focusing less on grades and more on effort and process. This reduces stress and increases motivation.
6. Digital support that actually works
Private tutoring can increase pressure, but digital practice options without grade comparisons have the opposite effect. Realistic practice tests and clear explanations build confidence, one of the most important predictors of lower stress.
Source: ToetsMij