About 40% of students in the Netherlands are enrolled in secondary vocational education (MBO).

Omissions

• The most recent CBS figure for school year 2024/'25 is 37%, not 40%; the 40% level corresponded to earlier years, as the share has been declining steadily since 46% in 2005/'06.
• The claim does not specify the denominator ('students'): depending on whether one counts all secondary-education students, only upper-secondary students, or all young people in education, the share of vocational students ranges from roughly 37% (CBS) to around 54% for upper-secondary VET enrolment among 15-19 year-olds (OECD).
• No source was cited by the speaker, and the exact CBS definition underlying the 37% series could not be fully checked within the search budget.

Sources

• PrimaryCentraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) — Digitalisering en kenniseconomie 2025, chapter 5 'Kennispotentieel'Het aandeel mbo-studenten is de afgelopen jaren geleidelijk gedaald van 46 procent in studiejaar 2005/'06 tot 37 procent in studiejaar 2024/'25.
• SecondaryOECD Education at a Glance country data as cited in Dutch parliamentary monitor (1848.nl)of upper secondary students enrolled in VET is 54% among 15-19 year-olds (OECD average: 37%), and 97% among 20-24 year-olds (OECD average: 62%).