VitIndex: Sport, physical activity and health data for every Dutch municipality in one dashboard, down to neighbourhood level.
Services delivered
Sector
Where should a new sports facility go, and which area needs a neighbourhood sports coach? With VitIndex, Dutch municipalities base choices like these on data. We built the platform for the Mulier Institute, as the technical partner of Sport Data Valley.
In short
- VitIndex has been available nationwide since 23 September 2026 and is free to use via vitindex.nl.
- The dashboard brings together public data on sport, physical activity, health and broad prosperity that used to be scattered across separate sources.
- VitIndex was developed by the Mulier Institute and the Association of Sports and Municipalities and tested by 17 municipalities.
- Researchable built the web application, the interactive map and the data integrations, and handles maintenance, security and hosting.
The figures were there, just not in one place
The problem
Sports participation, overweight, the distance to a sports facility: the figures needed for good sport and physical activity policy were public. But they were scattered across separate sources, and comparing your own neighbourhoods with other municipalities or the national average was difficult.
Before
Until then, two publications gave a snapshot per region: VSG's Monitor Sport en Gemeenten and the Mulier Institute's regional perspectives.
Now: VitIndex
One place where municipalities find, understand and compare the data, down to neighbourhood level.
What municipalities asked for
- Making trends and developments visible
- Context for the figures
- A link to current research
Choosing what a municipality needs
Showing everything there is, is easy. The art is in choosing: which figures does a policy adviser need, and how do you make them readable for someone who is not a data specialist?
The biggest challenge was not the technology, but translating raw data into strategic relevance. Unlocking everything just because you can leads to noise, not results.
Wietse de VriesMachine learning engineer at ResearchableThe dashboard is there for people, not for the data.
So no wall of indicators, but the figures that belong to a policy question, with enough context to read them correctly.
Four parties, each with its own role
Municipalities
Association of Sports and Municipalities
Co-developed VitIndex and brought municipalities to the table, including for the pilot.
Infrastructure
Sport Data Valley
The national sports data platform VitIndex runs on. Product owner Dennis van Kooij translated the wishes of municipalities into work for the development team.
Technology
Researchable
Technical architect and builder of the platform, and responsible for maintenance, security and hosting.
The Beweegalliantie, NOC*NSF, JOGG and the Kenniscentrum Sport & Bewegen are also involved in the development. In addition, VitIndex works with RIVM, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, the Platform Ondernemende Sportaanbieders and InnoBeweegLab.
From the whole country down to the neighbourhood
A few clicks, and a municipality sees where it stands. Zoom in from country and region down to the neighbourhood, and put areas side by side.
The Netherlands
The map of the whole country, with trends in sports participation, the physical activity guidelines and sports facilities.
Region
Health in Noord- en Oost-Gelderland next to the national average: perceived health, overweight and obesity.
Neighbourhood
Rosmalen-Zuid next to Den Bosch, with the sports facilities on the map and the Core Indicator for an Activity-Friendly Environment.
What we built
Interactive map
A map of the Netherlands based on GeoJSON, where you click through from region to municipality and neighbourhood. Hover over a chart and the matching area lights up on the map.
Dashboards per theme
Trends and comparisons, including the Core Indicators for an Activity-Friendly Environment, set against a comparison area of your choice.
Context panel
The key facts for every area: population, age structure, socio-economic status and degree of urbanisation. Because physical activity is closely linked to who lives in a neighbourhood.
Maintenance and hosting
VitIndex runs on the Sport Data Valley server cluster, with monitoring, security updates and availability commitments.
How we set up platforms like this, from data sources to dashboard, is described under data architecture and engineering.
Tested by 17 municipalities
From announcement to launch
Sport Data Valley announces an interactive dashboard for municipalities.
The pilot starts: the first municipalities begin using it.
The dashboard gets a name: VitIndex.
The pilot is complete; the wishes of municipalities are incorporated over the summer.
National launch at the VSG Congress in Zoetermeer.
Goal: a final tile on swimming pools, for national roll-out.
17
municipalities, from large to small and from urban to rural
The verdict of the policymakers: user-friendly, with the information presented clearly. In the municipality of Dronten, it was above all the figures at neighbourhood level that got the team enthusiastic. The main request from the pilot: more ways to compare neighbourhoods, municipalities and regions. Those were added over the summer, including custom reference groups.
What it delivers
Municipalities
Free, for every municipality
Municipalities and professionals in sport, physical activity and health use VitIndex free of charge, via an account at vitindex.nl.
Data
One place, from region to neighbourhood
Two publications and a series of separate sources have come together in one dashboard, with areas side by side.
Platform
Built, maintained and hosted
Web application, map and data integrations, kept running securely on the Sport Data Valley infrastructure.
One dashboard. Every municipality. Down to neighbourhood level.
Frequently asked questions
What is VitIndex?
VitIndex is a free online dashboard for Dutch municipalities that brings together data on sport, physical activity, health and broad prosperity. Users view the figures at regional, municipal and neighbourhood level and compare areas with each other or with the national average.
Who developed VitIndex?
VitIndex was developed by the Mulier Institute and the Association of Sports and Municipalities (VSG) and runs within the Sport Data Valley infrastructure. Researchable built the software as the technical partner of Sport Data Valley.
What did Researchable build?
The web application, the interactive map and the integrations with the Mulier Institute's datasets. We also handle maintenance, security and hosting on the Sport Data Valley server cluster.
What data does VitIndex contain?
Among other things: sports participation, the number of sports facilities, overweight, perceived quality of life and the Core Indicators for an Activity-Friendly Environment. The data is grouped into themes: sport and physical activity, health, mental health, broad prosperity and facilities.
What do municipalities use VitIndex for?
To base choices in sport and physical activity policy on data, for example about deploying neighbourhood sports coaches, sports facilities or a neighbourhood-based approach. If sports participation lags behind in a neighbourhood, that is a reason to work with local partners to see what is needed.
How was VitIndex tested?
In a pilot with 17 municipalities, from large to small and from urban to rural, which started in April 2026. The main request from the pilot, more ways to compare neighbourhoods, municipalities and regions, was added afterwards.
Which tools does VitIndex replace?
VitIndex replaces VSG's Monitor Sport en Gemeenten and the Mulier Institute's regional perspectives (regioperspectieven).
How do you get access to VitIndex?
VitIndex has been freely available since 23 September 2026. Municipalities and professionals can create an account at vitindex.nl.
