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Country Sheet : Netherlands

Information file

Last Update on 30th November 2025

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NETHERLANDS

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In English - version of 30th November 2025

Geography

Area : 41.543 km²

Borders : 1,027 km (Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km)

Coastline : 451 km

Capital : Amsterdam

Official language : Dutch

Flag

Image Drapeau

Population

Population : 17,772,378 inhabitants (2024 est.)

Crude natural change rate : 3.9‰ (2024 est.)

Population repartition: 15.2% under 15 years old, 20.5% over 65 years old (2024 est.)

Foreign residents: 3% EU nationals, 3.4% non-EU nationals (2019)

Crude net migration rate: 3‰ (2024 est.)

First time asylum applicants: 31,925 (2025)

Life expectancy: men 80.3 years old, women 83.5 years old (2024 est.)

Religions: None 54.1%, Catholics 20.1%, Protestants 14.8%, Muslims 5% (2019 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.)

Source : Eurostat

Economy

Currency: Euro

GDP: € 1,122,489.0 millions (2024)

GDP per capita (PPS): € 50,880 (2024)

GDP growth : 1.1% (2024)

Inflation: 3.1% (October 2025)

Public debt: 43.7% (December 2024)

Unemployment: 4% (October 2025)

Stock of foreign direct investment from the entire world: 516.2% of GDP (2022)

Budget balance: 0.7% of GDP (December 2024)

Source : Eurostat, OECD, BNP Paribas

Political system

Constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy

Head of State: King Willem-Alexander since 30th April 2013; he presides over the Council of State.

Head of Government: Dick Schoof (unaffiliated) was appointed Prime Minister on 28th May 2024. He took office on 2nd July 2024 and leads a PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB. On June 3, 2025, PVV party leader Geert Wilders announced his party's withdrawal from the ruling coalition, bringing down the government.

Bicameral parliamentary system comprises: The Eerste Kamer (Senate), of which 75 members are elected for four years by members of the provincial assemblies; And the Tweede Kamer (Second Chamber of the States-General) of which 150 members are elected for four years by direct universal suffrage.

Political representation

Composition of the Tweede Kamer (in November 2023):

  • 26 seats PVV (Freedom Party, extreme right)
  • 20 seats GL-PvdA (Green Left-Worker's Party)
  • 22 seats VVD (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy)
  • 20 seats NSC (New Social Contract, Christian Democrats)
  • 26 seats D66 (Democrats 66)
  • 4 seats BBB (Farmer-Citizen Movement)
  • 18 seats CDA (Christian Democratic Appeal)
  • 3 seats SP (Socialist Party)
  • 3 seats Denk
  • 3 seats CU (Christian Union)
  • 7 seats FvD (Forum for Democracy, populist)
  • 3 seats SGP (Reformed Political Party, conservative)
  • 3 seats PvdD (Party for Animals)
  • 1 seat Volt (European Federalist)
  • 9 seats JA21 (populist)

Composition of the Eerste Kamer (on 30th May 2023)

  • 16 seats BBB (Farmer Citizen Movement)
  • 14 seats GroenLinks-PvdA (GreenLeft-Labour Party)
  • 10 seats VVD (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy)
  • 6 seats CDA (Christian Democratic Party)
  • 5 seats D66 (Democrats 66)
  • 4 seats PVV (Party for Freedom)
  • 3 seats SP (The Socialist Party)
  • 3 seats CU (ChristianUnion)
  • 3 seats PvdD (Party for the Animals)
  • 3 seats JA21 (The Right Answer 21)
  • 2 seats FVD (Forum for Democracy)
  • 2 seats SGP (Reformed Political Party)
  • 2 seats Volt
  • 1 seat 50PLUS (defending pensioners)
  • 1 seat OPNL (Independent Politics Netherlands, regionalist)

Women's representations

  • In the government: 7/16
  • Tweede Kamer: 65/150
  • Eerste Kamer: 30/75

Next Elections:

  • Next general elections in 2028

    • NETHERLANDS

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    In English - version of 30th November 2025