Autopsy rate in Netherlands

Netherlands: Autopsy rate was 1.5% in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
1.5%
Change on year
down 11.8%
World rank
35th
of 39 countries
All-time high
12.0%
in 1981
All-time low
1.5%
in 2020
Years of data
36
1981–2020

Autopsy rate in Netherlands, 1981–2020

2.557.51012.51981200020201981: 12 %1982: 11.7 %1983: 11 %1984: 10.4 %1985: 10.2 %1986: 9.9 %1987: 9.6 %1988: 8.8 %1989: 8.3 %1990: 8.2 %1991: 8.2 %1992: 7.9 %1993: 8.1 %1994: 8.1 %1995: 7.7 %1996: 7.4 %1997: 7.2 %1998: 6.3 %2003: 4.5 %2004: 4.3 %2005: 4.1 %2006: 3.8 %2007: 3.9 %2008: 3.7 %2009: 3.5 %2010: 3.3 %2011: 3.1 %2012: 2.8 %2013: 2.6 %2014: 2.6 %2015: 2.3 %2016: 2.1 %2017: 1.9 %2018: 1.8 %2019: 1.7 %2020: 1.5 %

Source: Paratz et al. (2023); World Health Organization (2022) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Netherlands recorded 1.5% for autopsy rate in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.

That represents a change of down 11.8% on the previous year and down 54.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, autopsy rate in Netherlands peaked at 12.0% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 2020.

Netherlands ranks 35th of 39 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Autopsy rate in Netherlands, year by year

Annual values for Autopsy rate in Netherlands, 1981 to 2020.
Year % Change
1981 12.0%
1982 11.7% -2.5%
1983 11.0% -6.0%
1984 10.4% -5.5%
1985 10.2% -1.9%
1986 9.9% -2.9%
1987 9.6% -3.0%
1988 8.8% -8.3%
1989 8.3% -5.7%
1990 8.2% -1.2%
1991 8.2% +0.0%
1992 7.9% -3.7%
1993 8.1% +2.5%
1994 8.1% +0.0%
1995 7.7% -4.9%
1996 7.4% -3.9%
1997 7.2% -2.7%
1998 6.3% -12.5%
2003 4.5% -28.6%
2004 4.3% -4.4%
2005 4.1% -4.7%
2006 3.8% -7.3%
2007 3.9% +2.6%
2008 3.7% -5.1%
2009 3.5% -5.4%
2010 3.3% -5.7%
2011 3.1% -6.1%
2012 2.8% -9.7%
2013 2.6% -7.1%
2014 2.6% +0.0%
2015 2.3% -11.5%
2016 2.1% -8.7%
2017 1.9% -9.5%
2018 1.8% -5.3%
2019 1.7% -5.6%
2020 1.5% -11.8%

Netherlands compared with similar countries

  • Netherlands's 1.5% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 8.0%, 19% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
  • Netherlands's 1.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 8.6%, 17% of the median. (25 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Autopsy rate in Netherlands changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2003 -28.6% 6.3% 4.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 10.2% 8.3% 12.0% 9
1990s 7.7% 6.3% 8.2% 9
2000s 4.0% 3.5% 4.5% 7
2010s 2.4% 1.7% 3.3% 10
2020s 1.5% 1.5% 1.5% 1

Countries ranked near Netherlands

  1. 33 Denmark 2.6% compare
  2. 34 Luxembourg 1.8% compare
  3. 36 Tajikistan 1.3% compare
  4. 37 Serbia 1.2% compare
  5. 38 Georgia 1.1% compare

See the full ranking of 39 places →

More reference data data for Netherlands

All data for Netherlands →

Frequently asked questions

What is autopsy rate in Netherlands?
Autopsy rate in Netherlands was 1.5% in 2020, according to Paratz et al. (2023); World Health Organization (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest autopsy rate recorded in Netherlands?
The highest recorded value was 12.0% in 1981.
What is the lowest autopsy rate recorded in Netherlands?
The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 2020.
How does Netherlands rank for autopsy rate?
Netherlands ranks 35th out of 39 countries with data for 2020.
Is autopsy rate rising or falling in Netherlands?
Over the last ten years it is down 54.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Netherlands data come from?
The figures come from Paratz et al. (2023); World Health Organization (2022) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Autopsy rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Autopsy rate in Netherlands. Statizoid, drawing on Paratz et al. (2023); World Health Organization (2022) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/autopsy-rate/netherlands/

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About this data

Indicator
Autopsy rate
Unit
%
Source
Paratz et al. (2023); World Health Organization (2022) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
39 places, 1,121 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed

The share of all deaths for which an autopsy was performed. Autopsies may be used to determine the cause of sudden deaths; when there is a lack of doctors and nurses, medical records, or death certificate training; or for other legal or cultural reasons.