Health Record Rights Index · country brief · this country's data as of October 2, 2026
Who holds the health record in the Netherlands?
In 2026, the Netherlands scores 60 out of 100 for how much say a person has over their own health record. It is tied for 23rd of 198 countries and territories, and could rank anywhere from 11th to 40th allowing for scoring error, in the Mixed band (45 to 64). Who holds the keys: you and the health system. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of October 2, 2026.
The person has real controls inside a government or provider system. Its strongest right, compared with the typical country, is control over who sees it (72 out of 100, against 30 for the typical country). No right falls below the typical country; the closest to it is privacy and security (52 out of 100, against 45 for the typical country).
Dutch records move between providers only with the patient's explicit opt-in, but few people use their copy apps and an EHDS opt-out is planned.
Published · updated · this country's data as of October 2, 2026 · research tool, not legal advice
overall score · Mixed band, 45 to 64
60/100
rank among 198 countries and territories; likely 11th to 40th, allowing for scoring error
In 2026, getting your full record scores 55 out of 100 in the Netherlands; the typical country scores 40 to 45. Dutch law gives a copy of the whole file and free electronic access, and about 93% of GPs connect to certified apps. Only 571,000 people fetched records that way in 2024, and the EU scores Dutch record access 69.35 against an 86.51 average. Source: wetten.overheid.nl, January 1, 2026, and the other sources below.
Who controls health records in the Netherlands?
In 2026, you and the health system hold the keys to your health record in the Netherlands. Control over who sees it scores 72 out of 100 in the Netherlands; the typical country scores 30. Under the Wabvpz a provider may share data through an exchange system only with the patient's explicit consent, and patients can see on Volgjezorg who viewed their data via the national switch point. Consent is split across several systems, and the government plans an EHDS opt-out. Source: wetten.overheid.nl, July 5, 2025, and the other sources below.
How does the Netherlands compare?
In 2026, the Netherlands scores 60 out of 100, against 39 for the typical country. This brief compares it with Croatia (60 out of 100), Lithuania (60 out of 100) and Bulgaria (59 out of 100). Source: the ranking of all 198 countries and territories.
Eight rights, compared with Croatia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, the typical EU country and the typical country
Scores out of 100, by right
Getting your full record20%
55
62 · 67 · 62
Control over who sees it20%
72
66 · 62 · 62
Privacy and security15%
52
52 · 50 · 55
One record across your care15%
60
68 · 68 · 70
Protection from sale and ads10%
62
56 · 54 · 50
Doctors see it when treating you10%
58
64 · 64 · 62
Your say over research use5%
57
45 · 48 · 44
Rules for AI in your care5%
50
50 · 50 · 50
Black dot: Netherlands. Hollow dots: Croatia, Lithuania, Bulgaria (scores out of 100 on the right, same order). Gray line: the typical country of all 198. Dashed teal line: the typical EU country. Overall: Netherlands 60 out of 100, the typical EU country 61. Scores move in steps of about 5 points, so read a rank with its likely range.
What would the Netherlands need to change to score higher?
The Netherlands sits in Mixed (45 to 64); Strong starts at 65. Every right is at or above the typical country. The two with the most room to grow, weighted by how much each counts, are getting your full record (55 out of 100, against 40 to 45 for the typical country) and privacy and security (52 out of 100, against 45 for the typical country). Our scoring rules give more points for:
Getting your full record: A national portal that shows most people at least part of their record (a summary, prescriptions, lab results) puts this right at 60 to 75 out of 100. A near-full record that you can download, with a long history and used by most people, puts it at 76 to 90.
Privacy and security: A health data regulator that is independent and actually acts: it decides cases about health records, breaches must be reported, and fines are applied.
Which laws give health record rights in the Netherlands?
Burgerlijk Wetboek Boek 7, afdeling 5 (WGBO) (1994): Right to access and copy the file, 20-year retention, secrecy, research without consent unless the patient objects.
Wet aanvullende bepalingen verwerking persoonsgegevens in de zorg (Wabvpz) (2008): Explicit consent for electronic exchange, free electronic copies, access log on request, insurers barred.
Wet elektronische gegevensuitwisseling in de zorg (Wegiz) (2023): Framework law making named data flows electronic and standardised, with certified software.
Doctors, waits and private care context, not part of the score
Doctors per 10,000
38.7 2023 · 18th highest of 38 OECD countries
Nurses and midwives per 10,000
112 2023 · 15th highest of 38 OECD countries
Private insurance + out-of-pocket
16.1% 2023 · 28th highest of 35 OECD countries
Record reaches private care?
unknown
Compulsory private insurance, counted separately: 50.5% of health spending (2023).
Real cases
April 14, 2026 · Regionaal Tuchtcollege voor de Gezondheidszorg Amsterdam Nurse reprimanded for repeatedly opening patient files with no care reason
February 3, 2025 · Centraal Tuchtcollege voor de Gezondheidszorg · archived copy Appeal tribunal upholds complaint that a surgeon refused to hand over a medical file
In 2026, the Netherlands scored 60 out of 100 for how much say a person has over their own health record, tied for 23rd of 198 countries and territories (could be 11th to 40th), in the Mixed band. Who holds the keys: you and the health system. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of October 2, 2026, https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/netherlands/
The 23 sources for the Netherlands
Each source appears once, under the first right it supports. Titles are shown as our research agents recorded them, usually in the page's own language; text in square brackets is our machine translation. Links were checked on the date shown.
“Wet aanvullende bepalingen verwerking persoonsgegevens in de zorg (Wabvpz), art. 15a-15f” [Act on Additional Provisions for the Processing of Personal Data in Healthcare (Wabvpz), art. 15a-15f] our machine translation
wetten.overheid.nl (law or regulation) · Title in Dutch
Dated July 5, 2025 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
Used for: Getting your full record; Control over who sees it; Protection from sale and ads
“Ruim half miljoen Nederlanders haalden in 2024 via MedMij gegevens op” [Over half a million Dutch people retrieved data via MedMij in 2024] our machine translation
Stichting MedMij [MedMij Foundation] (government guidance) · Title in Dutch
Dated February 13, 2025 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Clinical Diagnostics voldeed niet aan wettelijke norm voor informatiebeveiliging” [Clinical Diagnostics did not meet the legal standard for information security] our machine translation
IGJ (regulator) · Title in Dutch
Dated May 13, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Internetconsultatie Wet op het Gezondheidsinformatiestelsel gestart” [Internet consultation on the Health Information System Act launched] our machine translation
Data voor gezondheid, ministerie van VWS [Data for Health, Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS)] (government guidance) · Title in Dutch
Dated June 9, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Kamerbrief over de implementatie van de EHDS, Kamerstuk 27 529 nr. 356” [Letter to Parliament on the implementation of the EHDS, Parliamentary Paper 27 529 no. 356] our machine translation
Minister van VWS [Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport] (government guidance) · Title in Dutch
Dated January 20, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
SuperTruth Inc. · 24 S. 24th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA · +1 215 918 4140 · supertruth.ai Something wrong? Tell us · Questions or a briefing: supertruth.ai/on-the-record#contact · Full index: healthrecordrights.com
OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (38 mostly high-income countries). DTI™: the Data Trust Index, which grades the evidence behind each score. SuperTruth makes it and publishes this index. Everything here comes from public information: laws, government and regulator pages, court decisions, published news, WHO, OECD and World Bank data. Full sources: https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/netherlands/#sources. SuperTruth built this index and sells health data verification products; no one paid to be included. Research tool, not legal advice. Our scores and our own words are CC BY 4.0; quoted law and source titles stay with their owners.
