2021 Edition

Background

The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1579; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world. After a 20-year French occupation, a Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. 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."

Area

land

33,893 sq km

total

41,543 sq km

water

7,650 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Climate

temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

Coastline

451 km

Elevation

highest point

Mount Scenery (on the island of Saba in the Caribbean, now considered an integral part of the Netherlands following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles) 862 m

lowest point

Zuidplaspolder -7 m

mean elevation

30 m

note

note: the highest point on continental Netherlands is Vaalserberg at 322 m

Geographic coordinates

52 31 N, 5 46 E

Geography - note

located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde); about a quarter of the country lies below sea level and only about half of the land exceeds one meter above sea level

Irrigated land

4,860 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Belgium 478 km, Germany 575 km

total

1,053 km

Land use

agricultural land

55.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 29.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 24.2% (2018 est.)

forest

10.8% (2018 est.)

other

34.1% (2018 est.)

Location

Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany

Major rivers (by length in km)

Rhine river mouth (shared with Switzerland [s], Germany, and France) - 1,233 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km)

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

floodingvolcanism: Mount Scenery (887 m), located on the island of Saba in the Caribbean, last erupted in 1640;; Round Hill (601 m), a dormant volcano also known as The Quill, is located on the island of St. Eustatius in the Caribbean;; these islands are at the northern end of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends south to Grenada

Natural resources

natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land

Population distribution

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

Terrain

mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast

Age structure

0-14 years

16.11% (male 1,425,547/female 1,358,894)

15-24 years

11.91% (male 1,049,000/female 1,008,763)

25-54 years

38.47% (male 3,334,064/female 3,313,238)

55-64 years

13.69% (male 1,177,657/female 1,188,613)

65 years and over

19.82% (male 1,558,241/female 1,866,380) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

10.98 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

73% (2013)

note

note: percent of women aged 18-45

Current Health Expenditure

10% (2018)

Death rate

9.22 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

31.2

potential support ratio

3.2 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

55.6

youth dependency ratio

24.4

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

5.4% of GDP (2018)

Ethnic groups

Dutch 75.4%, EU (excluding Dutch) 6.4%, Turkish 2.4%, Moroccan 2.4%, Surinamese 2.1%, Indonesian 2%, other 9.3% (2021 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

<100 (2020 est.)

note

note: estimate does not include children

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

24,000 (2020 est.)

note

note: estimate does not include children

Hospital bed density

3.2 beds/1,000 population (2018)

Infant mortality rate

female

3.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

3.82 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.45 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

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 omnisbare bron van informatie. (Dutch)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

84.3 years (2021 est.)

male

79.72 years

total population

81.95 years

Major urban areas - population

1.158 million AMSTERDAM (capital), 1.012 million Rotterdam (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

44 years (2020 est.)

male

41.6 years

total

42.8 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

30.1 years (2019 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Dutch

noun

Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women)

Net migration rate

1.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

20.4% (2016)

Physicians density

3.61 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

17,337,403 (July 2021 est.)

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

0.37% (2021 est.)

Religions

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.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

19 years (2018)

male

18 years

total

19 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.01 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.83 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.78 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

9% (2020 est.)

male

9.2%

total

9.1%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

92.6% of total population (2021)

Administrative divisions

12 provinces (provincies, singular - provincie), 3 public entities* (openbare lichamen, singular - openbaar lichaam (Dutch); entidatnan publiko, singular - entidat publiko (Papiamento)); Bonaire*, Drenthe, Flevoland, Fryslan (Friesland), Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant (North Brabant), Noord-Holland (North Holland), Overijssel, Saba*, Sint Eustatius*, Utrecht, Zeeland (Zealand), Zuid-Holland (South Holland)

note

note 1: the Netherlands is one of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the other three, Aruba, Curacao, and Sint Maarten, are all islands in the Caribbean; while all four parts are considered equal partners, in practice, most of the Kingdom's affairs are administered by the Netherlands, which makes up about 98% of the Kingdom's total land area and population note 2: although Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are officially incorporated into the country of the Netherlands under the broad designation of "public entities," Dutch Government sources regularly apply to them the more descriptive term of "special municipalities"; Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are collectively referred to as the Caribbean Netherlands

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology

the original Dutch name, Amstellerdam, meaning "a dam on the Amstel River," dates to the 13th century; over time the name simplified to Amsterdam

geographic coordinates

52 21 N, 4 55 E

name

Amsterdam; note - The Hague is the seat of government

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

time zone note

time descriptions apply to the continental Netherlands only, for the constituent countries in the Caribbean, the time difference is UTC-4

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of the Netherlands

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed as an Act of Parliament by or on behalf of the king or by the Second Chamber of the States General; the Second Chamber is dissolved after its first reading of the Act; passage requires a second reading by both the First Chamber and the newly elected Second Chamber, followed by at least two-thirds majority vote of both chambers, and ratification by the king; amended many times, last in 2018

history

many previous to adoption of the "Basic Law of the Kingdom of the Netherlands" on 24 August 1815; revised 8 times, the latest in 1983

Country name

abbreviation

NL

conventional long form

Kingdom of the Netherlands

conventional short form

Netherlands

etymology

the country name literally means "the lowlands" and refers to the geographic features of the land being both flat and down river from higher areas (i.e., at the estuaries of the Scheldt, Meuse, and Rhine Rivers; only about half of the Netherlands is more than 1 meter above sea level)

local long form

Koninkrijk der Nederlanden

local short form

Nederland

Dependent areas

Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Marja VERLOOP (since 17 January 2021)

consulate(s) general

Amsterdam

email address and website

AmsterdamUSC@state.govhttps://nl.usembassy.gov/

embassy

John Adams Park 1, 2244 BZ Wassenaar

FAX

[31] (70) 310-2207

mailing address

5780 Amsterdam Place, Washington DC  20521-5780

telephone

[31] (70) 310-2209

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Andre HASPELS (since 16 September 2019)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, New York, San Francisco

email address and website

https://www.netherlandsworldwide.nl/countries/united-states/about-us/embassy-in-washington-dc

FAX

[1] (202) 362-3430

telephone

[1] (202) 244-5300

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch

chief of state

King WILLEM-ALEXANDER (since 30 April 2013); Heir Apparent Princess Catharina-Amalia (daughter of King WILLEM-ALEXANDER, born 7 December 2003)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; following Second Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; deputy prime ministers are appointed by the monarch

head of government

Prime Minister (vacant); note - Prime Minister Mark RUTTE resigned on 15 January 2021 and is acting Prime Minister; Deputy Prime Ministers (since 26 October 2017) Hugo DE JONGE, Karin Kajsa OLLONGREN, and Carola SCHOUTEN (since 26 October 2017); note - Mark RUTTE heads his third cabinet put in place since 26 October 2017

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of red (bright vermilion; top), white, and blue (cobalt); similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer; the colors were derived from those of WILLIAM I, Prince of Orange, who led the Dutch Revolt against Spanish sovereignty in the latter half of the 16th century; originally the upper band was orange, but because its dye tended to turn red over time, the red shade was eventually made the permanent color; the banner is perhaps the oldest tricolor in continuous use

Government type

parliamentary constitutional monarchy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Independence

23 January 1579 (the northern provinces of the Low Countries conclude the Union of Utrecht breaking with Spain; on 26 July 1581, they formally declared their independence with an Act of Abjuration; however, it was not until 30 January 1648 and the Peace of Westphalia that Spain recognized this independence)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CBSS (observer), CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNRWA, UN Security Council (temporary), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest courts

Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (consists of 41 judges: the president, 6 vice presidents, 31 justices or raadsheren, and 3 justices in exceptional service, referred to as buitengewone dienst); the court is divided into criminal, civil, tax, and ombuds chambers

judge selection and term of office

justices appointed by the monarch from a list provided by the Second Chamber of the States General; justices appointed for life or until mandatory retirement at age 70

subordinate courts

courts of appeal; district courts, each with up to 5 subdistrict courts; Netherlands Commercial Court

Legal system

civil law system based on the French system; constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of the States General

Legislative branch

description

bicameral States General or Staten Generaal consists of:First Chamber or Eerste Kamer (75 seats; members indirectly elected by the country's 12 provincial council members by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)Second Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by open-list proportional representation vote to serve up to 4-year terms)

election results

First Chamber - percent of vote by party - FvD 15.9%, VVD 15.1%, CDA 11.4%, GL 11.2%, D66 8.8%, LP 8.6%, PVV 6.5%, SP 5.9%, CU 5%, other 11.6%; seats by party - FvD 12, VVD 12, CDA 9, GL 8, D66 7, LP 6, PVV 5, SP 4, CU 4, other 8; composition (as of September 2021) - men 46, women 29, percent of women 38.7%Second Chamber - percent of vote by party - VVD 21.9%, D66 15%, PVV 10.8%, CDA 9.5%, ,SP 9.1%, PvdA 5.7%, GL 5.2%, FvD 5%, PvdD 3.8%, CU 3.4%, other 13.7%; seats by party - VVD 34, D66 24, PVV 17, CDA 15, GL 8, FvD8, PvdD 6, CU 5, other 8; composition (as of September 2021) - men 91, women 59, percent of women 39.3%; note - total States General percent of women 39.1%

elections

First Chamber - last held on 27 May 2019 (next to be held in May 2023)Second Chamber - last held on 15-17 March 2021 (next to be held on 31 March 2025)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Philips VAN MARNIX van Sint Aldegonde (presumed)/unknown

name

"Het Wilhelmus" (The William)

note

note: adopted 1932, in use since the 17th century, making it the oldest national anthem in the world; also known as "Wilhelmus van Nassouwe" (William of Nassau), it is in the form of an acrostic, where the first letter of each stanza spells the name of the leader of the Dutch Revolt

National holiday

King's Day (birthday of King WILLEM-ALEXANDER), 27 April (1967); note - King's or Queen's Day are observed on the ruling monarch's birthday; currently celebrated on 26 April if 27 April is a Sunday

National symbol(s)

lion, tulip; national color: orange

Political parties and leaders

Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Wopke HOEKSTRA]Christian Union or CU [Gert-Jan SEGERS]Democrats 66 or D66 [Rob JETTEN]Denk [Tunahan KUZU]50 Plus [Henk KROL]Forum for Democracy or FvD [Thierry BAUDET]Green Left or GL [Jesse KLAVER]Labor Party or PvdA [Lilianne PLOUMEN]Party for Freedom or PVV [Geert WILDERS]Party for the Animals or PvdD [Esther OUWENHAND]People's Party for Freedom and Democracy or VVD [Mark RUTTE]Reformed Political Party or SGP [Kees VAN DER STAAIJ]Socialist Party or SP [Lilian MARIJNISSEN]plus a few minor parties

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

milk, potatoes, sugar beet, pork, onions, wheat, poultry, tomatoes, carrots/turnips, beef

Budget

expenditures

352.4 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

361.4 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

1.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

AAA (1994)

Moody's rating

Aaa (1986)

Standard & Poors rating

AAA (2015)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2018

$98.981 billion (2018 est.)

Current account balance 2019

$90.207 billion (2019 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$4,625,016,000,000 (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$4,345,413,000,000 (2019 est.)

Economic overview

The Netherlands, the sixth-largest economy in the European Union, plays an important role as a European transportation hub, with a consistently high trade surplus, stable industrial relations, and low unemployment. Industry focuses on food processing, chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery. A highly mechanized agricultural sector employs only 2% of the labor force but provides large surpluses for food-processing and underpins the country’s status as the world’s second largest agricultural exporter.The Netherlands is part of the euro zone, and as such, its monetary policy is controlled by the European Central Bank. The Dutch financial sector is highly concentrated, with four commercial banks possessing over 80% of banking assets, and is four times the size of Dutch GDP.In 2008, during the financial crisis, the government budget deficit hit 5.3% of GDP. Following a protracted recession from 2009 to 2013, during which unemployment doubled to 7.4% and household consumption contracted for four consecutive years, economic growth began inching forward in 2014. Since 2010, Prime Minister Mark RUTTE’s government has implemented significant austerity measures to improve public finances and has instituted broad structural reforms in key policy areas, including the labor market, the housing sector, the energy market, and the pension system. In 2017, the government budget returned to a surplus of 0.7% of GDP, with economic growth of 3.2%, and GDP per capita finally surpassed pre-crisis levels. The fiscal policy announced by the new government in the 2018-2021 coalition plans for increases in government consumption and public investment, fueling domestic demand and household consumption and investment. The new government’s policy also plans to increase demand for workers in the public and private sector, forecasting a further decline in the unemployment rate, which hit 4.8% in 2017.

Exchange rates

currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

0.7634 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

0.885 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

0.87789 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

0.90338 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.82771 (2020 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$773.74 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$755.77 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$719.78 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment, photography equipment, computers (2019)

Exports - partners

Germany 20%, Belgium 12%, United Kingdom 9%, France 7%, United States 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

83% (2017 est.)

government consumption

24.2% (2017 est.)

household consumption

44.3% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-72.3% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

20.5% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.2% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

1.6% (2017 est.)

industry

17.9% (2017 est.)

services

70.2% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$907.042 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2013

25.1 (2013 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017

28.5 (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

24.9% (2014 est.)

lowest 10%

2.3%

Imports

Imports 2018

$677.38 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$661.18 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$622.66 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, computers, cars (2019)

Imports - partners

Germany 15%, China 11%, Belgium 9%, United States 8%, Russia 7%, United Kingdom 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

3.3% (2017 est.)

Industries

agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

1.3% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

1.7% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

2.6% (2019 est.)

Labor force

8.907 million (2020 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

1.2%

industry

17.2%

services

81.6% (2015 est.)

Population below poverty line

13.6% (2019 est.)

Public debt

note

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

Public debt 2016

61.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

56.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$966.02 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$982.22 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$945.48 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2017

3.02% (2017 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2018

2.32% (2018 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2019

1.63% (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$56,100 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$56,600 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$54,200 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2015

$38.21 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$38.44 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

43.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2018

3.84% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate 2019

3.41% (2019 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

9% (2020 est.)

male

9.2%

total

9.1%

Crude oil - exports

7,984 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - imports

1.094 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - production

18,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

81.13 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

108.8 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

19.34 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

75% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

23% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

24.26 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

34.17 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

109.3 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Natural gas - consumption

43.38 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

51.25 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

51 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

45.33 billion cu m (2017 est.)

note

note: the Netherlands has curbed gas production due to seismic activity in the province of Groningen, largest source of gas reserves

Natural gas - proved reserves

801.4 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

954,500 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

2.406 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

2.148 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

1.282 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

43.92 (2020 est.)

total

7,525,016 (2020)

Broadcast media

more than 90% of households are connected to cable or satellite TV systems that provide a wide range of domestic and foreign channels; public service broadcast system includes multiple broadcasters, 3 with a national reach and the remainder operating in regional and local markets; 2 major nationwide commercial television companies, each with 3 or more stations, and many commercial TV stations in regional and local markets; nearly 600 radio stations with a mix of public and private stations providing national or regional coverage

Internet country code

.nl

Internet users

percent of population

91.33% (2020 est.)

total

16.47 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

extensive fixed-line, fiber-optic network; large cellular telephone system with five major operators utilizing the third generation of the Global System for Mobile Communications technology; one in five households now use Voice over the Internet Protocol services; fixed-line 33 per 100 and mobile-cellular 127 per 100 persons (2019)

general assessment

highly developed and well maintained; Dutch telecom market is gradually migrating to upgraded platforms; operators repurposing their spectrum and physical assets for LTE and 5G; one of the highest fixed broadband penetration rates in the world, with competition between DSL and fiber networks; fixed-line voice market is in decline while VoIP and mobile platforms advance; plans for 3G network shutdown in 2023; operators are concentrating investment on LTE-A and 5G services; operators and banks launch m-payments system; adoption of smart city concepts and technology in major cities; major exporter of broadcasting equipment and computers to Europe, and importer of same from China (2020)

international

country code - 31; landing points for Farland North, TAT-14, Circe North, Concerto, Ulysses 2, AC-1, UK-Netherlands 14, and COBRAcable submarine cables which provide links to the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 5 (3 Intelsat - 1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat) (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

28.81 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

4.937 million (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

125 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

21.415 million (2020)

Airports

total

29 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

2,438 to 3,047 m

11

914 to 1,523 m

6

over 3,047 m

3

total

23

under 914 m

2 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

914 to 1,523 m

4

total

6

under 914 m

2 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

PH

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 10, container ship 40, general cargo 559, oil tanker 26, other 564 (2021)

total

1,199

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

5,886,510,000 mt-km (2018)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

43,996,044 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

238

number of registered air carriers

8 (2020)

Pipelines

14000 km gas, 2500 km oil and refined products, 3000 km chemicals (2016)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Rotterdam (14,810,804) (2019)

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Rotterdam

major seaport(s)

IJmuiden, Vlissingen

river port(s)

Amsterdam (Nordsee Kanaal); Moerdijk (Hollands Diep River); Rotterdam (Rhine River); Terneuzen (Western Scheldt River)

Railways

standard gauge

3,058 km 1.435-m gauge (2,314 km electrified) (2016)

total

3,058 km (2016)

Roadways

total

139,124 km (includes 3,654 km of expressways) (2016)

Waterways

6,237 km (navigable by ships up to 50 tons) (2012)

Military - note

the Netherlands is a member of NATO and was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) in 1949 since 1973, the Dutch Marine Corps has worked closely with the British Royal Marines, including jointly in the UK-Netherlands amphibious landing force a Dutch Army airmobile infantry brigade and a mechanized infantry brigade have been integrated into the German Army since 2014 and 2016 respectively in 2018, the Defense Ministers of Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the creation of a Composite Special Operations Component Command (C-SOCC); the C-SOCC was declared operational in December 2020 (2021)

Military and security forces

Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force, Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (Military Constabulary) (2021)

note

note - the Netherlands Coast Guard and the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard are civilian in nature, but managed by the Royal Netherlands Navy

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Royal Netherlands Armed Forces have approximately 35,000 active duty personnel (15,000 Army; 7,500 Navy; 6,500 Air Force; 6,000 Constabulary) (2021)

note

note - the Navy includes about 2,300 marines

Military deployments

270 Lithuania (NATO) (2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the inventory of the Netherlands Armed Forces consists of a mix of domestically-produced and modern European- and US-sourced equipment; since 2010, the US is the leading supplier of weapons systems to the Netherlands, followed by several European countries; the Netherlands has an advanced domestic defense industry that focuses on armored vehicles, naval ships, and air defense systems; it also participates with the US and other European countries on joint development and production of advanced weapons systems (2021)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2016

1.16% of GDP (2016)

Military Expenditures 2017

1.15% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2018

1.22% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.35% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.49% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

17 years of age for an all-volunteer force; conscription abolished in 1996 (2021)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

a significant transit country for illicit drugs, especially cocaine from South America destined for Europe; one of the largest sources of synthetic drugs for international markets; numerous methamphetamine laboratories; traffickers use postage companies to send cocaine, ecstasy or methamphetamines distribute narcotics to global customers

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

22,547 (Syria), 11,961 (Eritrea), 11,642 (Somalia), 7,365 (Iraq), 5,212 (Afghanistan) (2020)

stateless persons

2,006 (2020)

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

170.78 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

17.79 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

12.07 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

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

Land use

agricultural land

55.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 29.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 24.2% (2018 est.)

forest

10.8% (2018 est.)

other

34.1% (2018 est.)

Major rivers (by length in km)

Rhine river mouth (shared with Switzerland [s], Germany, and France) - 1,233 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

91 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

76.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

14.74 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

1.26 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

92.6% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

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.)