The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1581; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world. After 18 years of French domination, the Netherlands regained its independence in 1813. In 1830, Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I but suffered German invasion and occupation in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EEC (now the EU) and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999. In October 2010, the former Netherlands Antilles was dissolved and the three smallest islands - Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba - became special municipalities in the Netherlands administrative structure. The larger islands of Sint Maarten and Curacao joined the Netherlands and Aruba as constituent countries forming the Kingdom of the Netherlands.In February 2018, the Sint Eustatius island council (governing body) was dissolved and replaced by a government commissioner to restore the integrity of public administration. According to the Dutch Government, the intervention will be as “short as possible and as long as needed.”
land: 33,893 sq km
water: 7,650 sq km
border countries (2): Belgium 478 km; Germany 575 km
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
lowest point: Zuidplaspolder -7 m
mean elevation: 30 m
note: the highest point on continental Netherlands is Vaalserberg at 322 m
arable land: 29.8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 24.2% (2018 est.)
forest: 10.8% (2018 est.)
other: 34.1% (2018 est.)
17,463,930 (2023 est.)
noun: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women)
adjective: Dutch
Dutch 75.4%, EU (excluding Dutch) 6.4%, Turkish 2.4%, Moroccan 2.4%, Surinamese 2.1%, Indonesian 2%, other 9.3% (2021 est.)
Dutch (official); note - Frisian is an official language in Fryslan province; Frisian, Low Saxon, Limburgish, Romani, and Yiddish have protected status under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages; Dutch is the official language of the three special municipalities of the Caribbean Netherlands; English is a recognized regional language on Sint Eustatius and Saba; Papiamento is a recognized regional language on Bonaire
major-language sample(s):
Het Wereld Feitenboek, een onmisbare bron van informatie. (Dutch)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Roman Catholic 20.1%, Protestant 14.8% (includes Dutch Reformed, Protestant Church of The Netherlands, Calvinist), Muslim 5%, other 5.9% (includes Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish), none 54.1% (2019 est.)
0-14 years: 16.06% (male 1,436,601/female 1,368,697)
15-64 years: 63.08% (male 5,532,490/female 5,483,034)
65 years and over: 20.86% (2023 est.) (male 1,658,652/female 1,984,456)
total dependency ratio: 54.9
youth dependency ratio: 24
elderly dependency ratio: 30.9
potential support ratio: 3.2 (2021 est.)
total: 42.2 years (2023 est.)
male: 41 years
female: 43.4 years
0.48% (2023 est.)
10.5 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
9.7 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
4.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
an area known as the Randstad, anchored by the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague, and Utrecht, is the most densely populated region; the north tends to be less dense, though sizeable communities can be found throughout the entire country
urban population: 93.2% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
1.174 million AMSTERDAM (capital), 1.018 million Rotterdam (2023)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
30.2 years (2020 est.)
4 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.4 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 81.7 years (2023 est.)
male: 80.1 years
female: 83.3 years
1.61 children born/woman (2023 est.)
0.78 (2023 est.)
73% (2013)
note: percent of women aged 18-45
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
11.1% of GDP (2020)
4.08 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
3.2 beds/1,000 population (2018)
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
20.4% (2016)
total: 8.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 3.95 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 2.92 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 1.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total: 22.2% (2020 est.)
male: 24.4% (2020 est.)
female: 19.9% (2020 est.)
NA
53.7% (2023 est.)
5.3% of GDP (2020 est.)
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
total: 19 years
male: 18 years
female: 19 years (2020)
water and air pollution are significant environmental problems; pollution of the country’s rivers from industrial and agricultural chemicals, including heavy metals, organic compounds, nitrates, and phosphates; air pollution from vehicles and refining activities
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
agricultural land: 55.1% (2018 est.)
arable land: 29.8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 24.2% (2018 est.)
forest: 10.8% (2018 est.)
other: 34.1% (2018 est.)
urban population: 93.2% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 10.74 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 170.78 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 17.79 megatons (2020 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 8.855 million tons (2015 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 2,179,216 tons (2015 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 24.6% (2015 est.)
Rijn (Rhine) river mouth (shared with Switzerland [s], Germany, and France) - 1,233 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km)
municipal: 2.05 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 5.94 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 31 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
91 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
high-income European economy; core EU member; chemical, oil, and machinery exporter; some age-based income inequality; substantial amount of independent contractor employees; manageable public debt; key international aid funder.
$992.675 billion (2021 est.)
$946.637 billion (2020 est.)
$984.912 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
4.86% (2021 est.)
-3.89% (2020 est.)
1.96% (2019 est.)
$56,600 (2021 est.)
$54,300 (2020 est.)
$56,800 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$907.042 billion (2019 est.)
2.68% (2021 est.)
1.27% (2020 est.)
2.63% (2019 est.)
Fitch rating: AAA (1994)
Moody’s rating: Aaa (1986)
Standard & Poors rating: AAA (2015)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
agriculture: 1.6% (2017 est.)
industry: 17.9% (2017 est.)
services: 70.2% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 44.3% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 24.2% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 20.5% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.2% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 83% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -72.3% (2017 est.)
milk, potatoes, sugar beets, pork, onions, wheat, poultry, tomatoes, carrots/turnips, beef
agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing
4.93% (2021 est.)
9.902 million (2021 est.)
4.01% (2021 est.)
3.82% (2020 est.)
3.38% (2019 est.)
total: 9.6% (2021 est.)
male: 10%
female: 9.2%
13.6% (2019 est.)
29.2 (2019 est.)
on food: 11.4% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 3.3% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 24.9% (2014 est.)
revenues: $396.687 billion (2019 est.)
expenditures: $374.166 billion (2019 est.)
1.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
56.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
61.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment, debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
24.38% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
calendar year
$73.138 billion (2021 est.)
$46.794 billion (2020 est.)
$62.998 billion (2019 est.)
$839.6 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$712.3 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$751.2 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Germany 20%, Belgium 12%, United Kingdom 9%, France 7%, United States 5% (2019)
refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, packaged medicines, photography equipment, computers (2021)
$735.7 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$620.5 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$662 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Germany 15%, China 11%, Belgium 9%, United States 8%, Russia 7%, United Kingdom 5% (2019)
crude petroleum, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, computers, cars (2019)
$64.469 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$53.971 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$43.32 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
$4,345,413,000,000 (2019 est.)
$4,625,016,000,000 (2018 est.)
euros (EUR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
0.845 (2021 est.)
0.876 (2020 est.)
0.893 (2019 est.)
0.847 (2018 est.)
0.885 (2017 est.)
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 43.409 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 109.796 billion kWh (2020 est.)
exports: 22.433 billion kWh (2020 est.)
imports: 19.773 billion kWh (2020 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 5.059 billion kWh (2020 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 68.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 3.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 6.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 13.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 8.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Number of operational nuclear reactors: 1 (2023)
Number of nuclear reactors under construction: 0
Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 0.48GW (2023)
Percent of total electricity production: 3.1% (2021)
Percent of total energy produced: 3% (2021)
Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 0
production: 1.879 million metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 8.241 million metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 20.164 million metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 21.552 million metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 497 million metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 76,100 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 915,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 8,800 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 1,096,500 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 137.7 million barrels (2021 est.)
1.282 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
2.406 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
2.148 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
production: 32.858 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)
consumption: 44.753 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)
exports: 42.827 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)
imports: 55.767 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)
proven reserves: 132.608 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
214.416 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 23.15 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 116.24 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 75.027 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
219.606 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 8 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 238
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 43,996,044 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 5,886,510,000 (2018) mt-km
PH
29 (2021)
23
civil airports: 6
military airports: 5
joint use (civil-military) airports: 2
other airports: 10
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
6
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
1 (2021)
14,000 km gas, 2,500 km oil and refined products, 3,000 km chemicals (2017)
total: 3,055 km (2020) 2,310 km electrified
total: 139,124 km (2016) (includes 3,654 km of expressways)
6,237 km (2012) (navigable by ships up to 50 tons)
total: 1,175 (2022)
by type: bulk carrier 11, container ship 37, general cargo 543, oil tanker 26, other 558
major seaport(s): IJmuiden, Vlissingen
container port(s) (TEUs): Rotterdam (15,300,000) (2021)
LNG terminal(s) (import): Gate (Rotterdam)
river port(s): Amsterdam (Nordsee Kanaal); Moerdijk (Hollands Diep River); Rotterdam (Rhine River); Terneuzen (Western Scheldt River)
manyapis