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Country Sheet : Netherlands

Information file

Last Update on 3rd June 2025

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NETHERLANDS

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In English - version of 3rd June 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: 2.3% (May 2025)

Public debt: 43.3% (December 2024)

Unemployment: 6.3% (April 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. New parliamentary elections are due to be held in the Netherlands in the near future.

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):

  • 37 seats PVV (Freedom Party, extreme right)
  • 25 seats GL-PvdA (Green Left-Worker's Party)
  • 24 seats VVD (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy)
  • 20 seats NSC (New Social Contract, Christian Democrats)
  • 9 seats D66 (Democrats 66)
  • 7 seats BBB (Farmer-Citizen Movement)
  • 5 seats CDA (Christian Democratic Appeal)
  • 5 seats SP (Socialist Party)
  • 3 seats Denk
  • 3 seats CU (Christian Union)
  • 3 seats FvD (Forum for Democracy, populist)
  • 3 seats SGP (Reformed Political Party, conservative)
  • 3 seats PvdD (Party for Animals)
  • 2 seats Volt (European Federalist)
  • 1 seat 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: 61/150
  • Eerste Kamer: 30/75

Next Elections:

  • Next general elections in 2028

    • NETHERLANDS

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    In English - version of 3rd June 2025