2023 Edition

Background

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."

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 (Rijn), Meuse (Maas), and Scheldt (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

2,969 sq km (2019)

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)

Rijn (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

flooding volcanism: 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

16.06% (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)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

3.95 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

1.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

8.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

2.92 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

10.5 births/1,000 population (2023 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

11.1% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

53.7% (2023 est.)

Death rate

9.7 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

30.9

potential support ratio

3.2 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

54.9

youth dependency ratio

24

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 (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

5.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

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.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.78 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

3.2 beds/1,000 population (2018)

Infant mortality rate

female

3.4 deaths/1,000 live births

male

4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

83.3 years

male

80.1 years

total population

81.7 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major urban areas - population

1.174 million AMSTERDAM (capital), 1.018 million Rotterdam (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

4 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

43.4 years

male

41 years

total

42.2 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

30.2 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Dutch

noun

Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women)

Net migration rate

4.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

20.4% (2016)

Physicians density

4.08 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

17,463,930 (2023 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

0.48% (2023 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 (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

19 years (2020)

male

18 years

total

19 years

Sex ratio

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

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

19.9% (2020 est.)

male

24.4% (2020 est.)

total

22.2% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.61 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

93.2% of total population (2023)

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Shefali RAZDAN DUGGAL (since 19 October 2022)

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 Birgitta TAZELAAR (since 15 September 2023)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, New York, San Francisco

email address and website

was@minbuza.nlhttps://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 Mark RUTTE (since 14 October 2010); Deputy Prime Ministers Sigrid KAAG and Wopke HOEKSTRA (since 10 January 2022), Carola SCHOUTEN (since 26 October 2017); note - Mark RUTTE's ruling coalition collapsed on 8 July 2023; he is serving as prime minister in a caretaker status until a new prime minister is named following the 22 November 2023

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

26 July 1581 (the northern provinces of the Low Countries 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, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UN Security Council (temporary), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

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 House of Representatives 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:Senate 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)House of Representatives 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

Senate - percent of vote by party - BBB 21.3%, VVD 13.3%, GL 9.3%, PvdA 9.3%, CDA 8.0%, D66 6.7%, PVV 5.3%, SP 4.0%, CU 4.0%, PvdD 4.0%, JA21 4.0%, Volt 2.7%, SGP 2.7%,  FvD 2.7%, other 2.6%; seats by party - BBB 16, VVD 10, GL 7, PvdA 7, CDA 6, D66 5, PVV 4, SP 3, CU 3, PvdD 3, JA21 3, Volt 2, SGP 2, FvD 2 other 2; composition (as of May 2023) - men 45, women 30, percent of women 40%House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PVV 23.6%, GL/PvdA 15.5%, VVD 15.2%, NSC 12.8%, D66 6.2%, BBB 4.7%, CDA 3.3%, SP 3.1%, Denk 2.4%, FvD 2.2%, PvdD 2.3%, CU 2.1%, SGP 2.2%, other 6.4%; seats by party - PVV 37, GL/PvdA 25, VVD 24, NSC 20, D66 9, BBB 7, CDA 5, SP 5, Denk 3, PvdD 3, CU 3, FvD 3, SGP 3, other 6; composition (as of December 2023) - men 89, women 60, percent of women 40.3%; note - total States General percent of women 40.2%

elections

Senate - last held on 30 May 2023 (next to be held in May 2027)House of Representatives - last held on 22 November 2023 (next to be held on 30 November 2027)

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 heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Schokland and Surroundings (c); Dutch Water Defense Lines (c); Van Nellefabriek (c); Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout (c); Droogmakerij de Beemster (Beemster Polder) (c); Rietveld Schröderhuis (Rietveld Schröder House) (c); Wadden Sea (n); Seventeenth Century Canal Ring Area of Amsterdam inside the Singelgracht (c); Colonies of Benevolence (c); Frontiers of the Roman Empire - The Lower German Limes (c)

total World Heritage Sites

12 (11 cultural, 1 natural); note - includes one site in Curacao

National holiday

King's Day (birthday of King WILLEM-ALEXANDER), 27 April (1967); note - King's or Queen's Day is 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 [Henri BONTENBAI]Christian Union or CU [Mirjam BIKKER]Correct Answer 2021 or JA21 [Joost EEDERMANS]Democrats 66 or D66 [Rob JETTEN]Denk [Stephan van BAARLE]Farmer-Citizen Movement or BBB [Caroline van der PLAS]50Plus [Martin van ROOIJEN]Forum for Democracy or FvD [Thierry BAUDET]Green Left (GroenLinks) or GL [Jesse KLAVER]Labor Party or PvdA [Attje KUIKEN]New Social Contract or NSC [Pieter OMTZIGT]Party for Freedom or PVV [Geert WILDERS]Party for the Animals or PvdD [Esther OUWENHAND]People's Party for Freedom and Democracy or VVD [Dilan YESILGOZ]Reformed Political Party or SGP [Chris STOFFER]Socialist Party or SP [Lilian MARIJNISSEN]Together or BIJ1 [Edson OLF]Volt Netherlands or Volt [Laurens DASSEN]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

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

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

3.3% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

11.4% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$374.166 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$396.687 billion (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

1.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

AAA (1994)

Moody's rating

Aaa (1986)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

AAA (2015)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

$62.998 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

$46.794 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

$73.138 billion (2021 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

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.

Exchange rates

Currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

0.885 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

0.847 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

0.893 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$751.2 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2020

$712.3 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2021

$839.6 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, packaged medicines, photography equipment, computers (2021)

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 2019

29.2 (2019 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

24.9% (2014 est.)

lowest 10%

2.3%

Imports

Imports 2019

$662 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$620.5 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$735.7 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

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

4.93% (2021 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

2.63% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

1.27% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

2.68% (2021 est.)

Labor force

9.902 million (2021 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 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$984.912 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$946.637 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$992.675 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

1.96% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-3.89% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

4.86% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$56,800 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$54,300 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$56,600 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$43.32 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$53.971 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$64.469 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

24.38% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

3.38% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

3.82% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

4.01% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

9.2%

male

10%

total

9.6% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

23.15 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

75.027 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

116.24 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

214.416 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

8.241 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

20.164 million metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

21.552 million metric tons (2020 est.)

production

1.879 million metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

497 million metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

109.796 billion kWh (2020 est.)

exports

22.433 billion kWh (2020 est.)

imports

19.773 billion kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

43.409 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

5.059 billion kWh (2020 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

8.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

68.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

3.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

6.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

13.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

219.606 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

44.753 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

42.827 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)

imports

55.767 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)

production

32.858 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

132.608 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

0.48GW (2023)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

1 (2023)

Percent of total electricity production

3.1% (2021)

Percent of total energy produced

3% (2021)

Petroleum

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.)

refined petroleum consumption

915,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

76,100 bbl/day (2021 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

44 (2020 est.)

total

7,525,016 (2020 est.)

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

92% (2021 est.)

total

16.56 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line is 29 per 100 and mobile-cellular at 125 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

telecom infrastructure in the Netherlands continues to be upgraded as modernization schemes undertaken by telcos make steady progress; other fiber providers have been supported by regulatory measures which have encouraged municipal governments to intervene with telcos’ fiber builds, facilitating open access networks in a bid to make rollouts cheaper, and completed sooner; while the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are also closing down their Global System for Mobile Communication (MSM) and 3G networks and repurposing their spectrum and physical assets for LTE and 5G, the regulator has also encouraged GSM/3G roaming in the interim, thus safeguarding services such as machine to machine and other low data-use applications while individual MNOs disable their own GSM/3G networks; the country has one of the highest fixed broadband penetration rates in the world, with effective cross-platform competition between Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), Hybrid Fiber Coazial (HFC), and fiber networks; in the third quarter of 2020 the number of cable broadband connections fell for the first time, while the DSL segment has long been eclipsed by fiber; by the end of 2021, over a quarter of fixed broadband connections were on fiber infrastructure, while DSL accounted for only about 29%; almost 49% of fixed connections provided data above 100Mb/s, while an additional 43.7% provided data of at least 30Mb/s (2022)

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)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

29 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

5.024 million (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

125 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

21.888 million (2021 est.)

Airports

29 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

civil airports

6

joint use (civil-military) airports

2

military airports

5

note

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.)

other airports

10

total

23

Airports - with unpaved runways

6

note

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

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

PH

Heliports

1 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 11, container ship 37, general cargo 543, oil tanker 26, other 558

total

1,175 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

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

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

14,000 km gas, 2,500 km oil and refined products, 3,000 km chemicals (2017)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Rotterdam (15,300,000) (2021)

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Gate (Rotterdam)

major seaport(s)

IJmuiden, Vlissingen

river port(s)

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

Railways

total

3,055 km (2020) 2,310 km electrified

Roadways

total

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

Waterways

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

Military - note

the Dutch military is charged with the three core tasks of defending the country’s national territory and that of its allies, enforcing the national and international rule of law, and providing assistance during disasters and other crises; it also has some domestic security duties, including in the Dutch Caribbean territories; the military operates globally but rarely carries out military operations independently and focuses on cooperating with the armed forces of other countries, particularly with Belgium, Denmark, Germany, and the UK to include combined military unitsthe Netherlands has been a member of NATO since its founding in 1949, and the Dutch military is heavily involved in NATO missions and operations with air, ground, and naval forces, including air policing missions over the Benelux countries and Eastern Europe, NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence initiative in the Baltic States and Eastern Europe, and several NATO naval flotillas, as well as standby units for NATO’s rapid response force; the military has previously deployed forces to NATO-led operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kosovo and also regularly contributes to EU- and UN-led missionsthe Dutch military is a professional force and conforms to NATO standards; the Army is experienced, equipped with modern weapons, and exercises regularly, including with allied partners; it has three brigades of mechanized, light, and air mobile infantry, plus artillery, air defense, and commando/special forces units; the Army cooperates closely with the German Army, including having its air mobile and mechanized brigades assigned to German divisional headquarters; in addition, the Army shares with the Germans command of a NATO high-readiness corps-level headquarters, which can be ready for deployment inside or outside NATO territory within 20 days; in 2020, Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands formed a joint composite special operations component commandfounded in the late 1400s, the Royal Netherlands Navy is one of the oldest naval forces in the World and conducts a variety of missions worldwide; in addition to its close ties with NATO, the Navy cooperates closely with the Belgian Navy, including a joint staff known as the Admiralty Benelux; it has a command responsible for the activities of Dutch naval units in the Caribbean, which includes combating drug trafficking, environmental crime, and illegal fishing, as well as providing search and rescue and disaster relief capabilities; the Netherlands has naval bases on Curaçao and Aruba; the Navy’s principal warships are 10 frigates and ocean-going patrol ships and three attack submarines; the Marine Corps has two battalion-size combat groups and special operations forces; since 1973, it has worked closely with the British Royal Marines, including jointly in the UK-Netherlands amphibious landing forcethe Air Force operates globally and is equipped with about 50 modern US-origin combat aircraft, including F-35 stealth multirole fighters; the Air Force has a helicopter command with attack and other combat-capable helicopters; Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg have an agreement to allow the Belgian and Dutch Air Forces to conduct air policing patrols over the three countriesthe core missions of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee’s (military police) are border security, security and surveillance, and international and military police tasks; it has 21 brigades based in eight Dutch provinces, plus Curaçao in the Caribbean, a special missions security brigade, and separate security platoons to guard and protect domestic sites that are most likely to be the targets of attacks, such as government buildings; Marechaussee detachments have been included in international police units deployed by NATOthe Dutch military is also part of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, a defense framework of 10 Northern European nations designed to provide security to the High North, North Atlantic, and the Baltic Sea Region in response to a crisis (2023)

Military and security forces

Netherlands (Dutch) Armed Forces (Nederlandse Krijgsmacht): Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force, Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (Military Constabulary) (2023)

note

note 1: the Netherlands Coast Guard and the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard are civilian in nature but managed by the Royal Netherlands Navynote 2: the national police maintain internal security in the Netherlands and report to the Ministry of Justice and Security, which oversees law enforcement organizations, as do the justice ministries in Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 48,000 active-duty personnel (20,000 Army; 9,000 Navy; 7,000 Air Force; 7,000 Constabulary; 5,000 other) (2023)

note

note: the total figures include about 6,000 reservists on active duty; the Navy has about 2,300 marines

Military deployments

350 Lithuania (NATO); 200 Romania (NATO) (2023)

note

note: in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, some NATO countries, including the Netherlands, have sent additional troops and equipment to the battlegroups deployed in NATO territory in eastern Europe

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory consists of a mix of domestically produced and modern European- and US-sourced equipment; in recent years, the US has been the leading supplier of weapons systems; 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 (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

1.3% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.4% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.4% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.7% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military service age and obligation

17 years of age for voluntary service for men and women; the military is an all-volunteer force; conscription remains in place, but the requirement to show up for compulsory military service was suspended in 1997; must be a citizen of the Netherlands (2023)

note

note: in 2023, women made up about 14% of the military's full-time personnel

Disputes - international

none identified

Illicit drugs

a major transit hub for illicit substances, especially cocaine from South and Central America and methamphetamine from Mexico; homegrown synthetic drug makers and illegal chemical precursor manufacturers selling dangerous drugs, including synthetic opioids, via the internet to customers in the United States and worldwide  

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

53,496 (Syria), 19,204 (Eritrea), 7,106 (Turkey), 5,593 (Iran), 5,152 (Iraq) (mid-year 2022); 136,470 (Ukraine) (as of 30 September 2023)

stateless persons

4,570 (2022)

Space agency/agencies

Netherlands Space Office (NSO; established 2009); Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON; advises NSO on scientific space research; established 1983) (2023)

Space program overview

has an active space program focused on the added value of space on science, the economy, and society, as well as the development of cutting edge space technologies and services based on satellite data; builds and operates satellites; researches and develops technologies related to astrophysics, telecommunications, remote sensing (RS), propulsion systems, atmospheric measuring instruments (such as spectrometers), planetary/exoplanetary research, and robotics; active member of the European Space Agency (ESA) and participates in the construction of ESA satellite launch vehicles (Arienne and VEGA) and in the ESA astronaut training program; participates in international space programs and with other foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Japan, the US, and members of the EU; has a robust commercial space sector tied in to the larger European space economy (2023)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S

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

10.74 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 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)

Rijn (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

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

91 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

31 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

5.94 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

2.05 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

93.2% of total population (2023)

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.)