Netherlands

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 (2008)

Internet country code

.nl

Internet users

total: 15,385,203 | percent of population: 90.4% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 34

Telephone system

general assessment: highly developed and well maintained | 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 | international: country code - 31; submarine cables 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 (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 6,801,678 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 40 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 25

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 21,941,981 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 129 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 58

Agriculture - products

vegetables, ornamentals, dairy, poultry and livestock products; propagation materials

Budget

revenues: $340.6 billion | expenditures: $337.8 billion (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0.4% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 35

Central bank discount rate

0% (31 December 2016) | 0.05% (31 December 2015) | note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area | country comparison to the world: 152

Commercial bank prime lending rate

1.47% (31 December 2016 est.) | 1.83% (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 185

Current account balance

$65.71 billion (2016 est.) | $65.22 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 8

Debt - external

$4.063 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) | $4.054 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 6

Distribution of family income - Gini index

30.3 (2015 est.) | 25.1 (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 125

Economy - overview

The Netherlands, the sixth-largest economy in the European Union, plays an important role as a European transportation hub, with a persistently 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 2016, the government budget returned to a surplus of 0.3% of GDP, with economic growth of 2.1%, and GDP per capita finally surpassed pre-crisis levels. The Dutch government projects steady but modest economic growth of 2.1% in 2017 and unemployment decreasing to 4.9%.

Exchange rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar - | 0.9214 (2016 est.) | 0.885 (2015 est.) | 0.885 (2014 est.) | 0.7634 (2013 est.) | 0.7752 (2012 est.)

Exports

$495.4 billion (2016 est.) | $488.3 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9

Exports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and livestock, manufactured goods

Exports - partners

Germany 24.1%, Belgium 10.7%, UK 9.4%, France 8.8%, Italy 4.2% (2016)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$777.5 billion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$872.8 billion (2016 est.) | $843.1 billion (2015 est.) | $815.7 billion (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 28

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 44.2% | government consumption: 24.7% | investment in fixed capital: 19.9% | investment in inventories: 0.1% | exports of goods and services: 82.4% | imports of goods and services: -71.4% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 1.6% | industry: 17.9% | services: 70.2% (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$51,200 (2016 est.) | $50,400 (2015 est.) | $49,500 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 23

GDP - real growth rate

2.2% (2016 est.) | 2.3% (2015 est.) | 1.4% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 129

Gross national saving

28.5% of GDP (2016 est.) | 28.5% of GDP (2015 est.) | 27.4% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 33

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.3% | highest 10%: 24.9% (2014 est.)

Imports

$402.9 billion (2016 est.) | $401.3 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 10

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, clothing

Imports - partners

Germany 15.3%, China 14.1%, Belgium 8.4%, US 7.9%, UK 5.3%, Russia 4.1% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

2.5% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 91

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.1% (2016 est.) | 0.2% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 53

Labor force

7.936 million (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 62

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 1.2% | industry: 17.2% | services: 81.6% (2015 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$652.7 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $735.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $675 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 18

Population below poverty line

8.8% (2015 est.)

Public debt

61.8% of GDP (2016 est.) | 64.5% of GDP (2015 est.) | note: data cover general government debt, and includes 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 intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental 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 | country comparison to the world: 70

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$36.13 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $38.21 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 46

Stock of broad money

$827.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $834.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 17

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$5.623 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) | $5.615 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 2

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$4.759 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) | $4.775 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 2

Stock of domestic credit

$1.507 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) | $1.536 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 15

Stock of narrow money

$411.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $405.5 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | note: see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders | country comparison to the world: 13

Taxes and other revenues

44.2% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 24

Unemployment rate

5.9% (2016 est.) | 6.9% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 81

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

184.8 million Mt (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 32

Crude oil - exports

6,335 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 62

Crude oil - imports

1.09 million bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 11

Crude oil - production

18,090 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 72

Crude oil - proved reserves

113.2 million bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 72

Electricity - consumption

106 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 33

Electricity - exports

19.34 billion kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9

Electricity - from fossil fuels

80.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 155

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

1.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 30

Electricity - from other renewable sources

22% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 28

Electricity - imports

24.26 billion kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 8

Electricity - installed generating capacity

33.86 million kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 30

Electricity - production

102.5 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 35

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

Natural gas - consumption

39.96 billion cu m (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 30

Natural gas - exports

53.65 billion cu m (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 6

Natural gas - imports

39.57 billion cu m (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 11

Natural gas - production

47.46 billion cu m | note: the Netherlands has curbed gas production due to seismic activity in the province of Groningen, largest source of gas reserves (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 17

Natural gas - proved reserves

786.6 billion cu m (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 28

Refined petroleum products - consumption

973,000 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 22

Refined petroleum products - exports

2.331 million bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 3

Refined petroleum products - imports

2.1 million bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 4

Refined petroleum products - production

1.28 million bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 15

Area

total: 41,543 sq km | land: 33,893 sq km | water: 7,650 sq km | country comparison to the world: 135

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Climate

temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

Coastline

451 km

Elevation

mean elevation: 30 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Zuidplaspolder -7 m | highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m (on the island of Saba in the Caribbean, now considered an integral part of the Netherlands following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles) | note: the highest point on continental Netherlands is Vaalserberg at 322 m

Environment - current issues

water pollution in the form of heavy metals, organic compounds, and nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates; air pollution from vehicles and refining activities; acid rain

Environment - international agreements

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

52 30 N, 5 45 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

total: 1,053 km | border countries (2): Belgium 478 km, Germany 575 km

Land use

agricultural land: 55.1% | arable land 29.8%; permanent crops 1.1%; permanent pasture 24.2% | forest: 10.8% | other: 34.1% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | exclusive fishing zone: 200 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

Administrative divisions

12 provinces (provincies, singular - provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland, Fryslan (Friesland), Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant (North Brabant), Noord-Holland (North Holland), Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland (Zealand), Zuid-Holland (South Holland) | 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: three other Caribbean islands, Bonaire, Saint Eustatius, and Saba, are considered to be special municipalities of the Netherlands proper

Capital

name: Amsterdam; note - The Hague is the seat of government | geographic coordinates: 52 21 N, 4 55 E | time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) | daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October | note: time descriptions apply to the continental Netherlands only, not to the constituent countries in the Caribbean

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

history: previous 1597, 1798; latest adopted 24 August 1815 (substantially revised in 1848) | 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 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 2010 (2016)

Country name

conventional long form: Kingdom of the Netherlands | conventional short form: Netherlands | local long form: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden | local short form: Nederland | 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)

Dependent areas

Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Shawn CROWLEY (since 29 July 2016) | embassy: Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ, The Hague | mailing address: PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715 | telephone: [31] (70) 310-2209 | FAX: [31] (70) 310-2207 | consulate(s) general: Amsterdam

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Hendrik Jan Jurriaan SCHUWER (since 17 September 2015) | chancery: 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 244-5300, [1] 877-388-2443 | FAX: [1] (202) 362-3430 | consulate(s) general: Chicago, Miami, New York, San Francisco

Executive branch

chief of state: King WILLEM-ALEXANDER (since 30 April 2013); Heir Apparent Princess Catharina-Amalia (since 30 April 2013) | head of government: Prime Minister Mark RUTTE (since 14 October 2010); Deputy Prime Ministers Hugo DE JONGE, Karin Kajsa OLLONGREN, and Carola SCHOUTEN (since 26 October 2017); note - Mark RUTTE heads his third cabinet since 26 October 2017 | cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch | elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; following Second Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; deputy prime ministers appointed by the monarch

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, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, 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 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; note in mid-July 2017, legislation was proposed to establish a new commericial court for international trade disputes with the Netherlands

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 the 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) and the Second Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve up to 4-year terms) | elections: First Chamber - last held on 26 May 2015 (next to be held in May 2019); Second Chamber - last held on 15 March 2017 (next to be held 15 March 2021) | election results: First Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - VVD 13, CDA 12, D66 10, PVV 9, SP 9, PvdA 8, GL 4, CU 3, other 7; Second Chamber - percent of vote by party - VVD 21.3%, PVV 13.1%, CDA 12.4%, D66 12.2%, GL 9.1%, SP 9.1%, PvdA 5.7%, CU 3.4%, PvdD 3.2%, 50 Plus 3.1%, other 7.4%; seats by party - VVD 33, PVV 20, CDA 19, D66 19, GL 14, SP 14, PvdA 9, CU 5, PvdD 5, 50 Plus 4, other 8

National anthem

name: "Het Wilhelmus" (The William) | lyrics/music: Philips VAN MARNIX van Sint Aldegonde (presumed)/unknown | 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; 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 [Sybrand VAN HAERSMA BUMA] | Christian Union or CU [Gert-Jan SEGERS] | Democrats 66 or D66 [Alexander PECHTOLD] | Denk [Tunahan KUZU] | 50 Plus [Henk KROL] | For the Netherlands or VNL [Jan ROOS] | Forum for Democracy or FvD [Thierry BAUDET] | Green Left or GL [Jesse KLAVER] | Labor Party or PvdA [Lodewik ASSCHER] | Party for Freedom or PVV [Geert WILDERS] | Party for the Animals or PvdD [Marianne THIEME] | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy or VVD [Mark RUTTE] | Reformed Political Party or SGP [Kees VAN DER STAAIJ] | Socialist Party or SP [Emile ROEMER] | plus a few minor parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

Christian Trade Union Federation or CNV [Maurice LIMMEN] | Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers or VNO-NCW [Hans DE BOER] | Federation for Small and Medium-sized Businesses or MKB [Michael VAN STRAALEN] | Netherlands Trade Union Federation or FNV [Han BUSKER] | Social Economic Council or SER [Mariette HAMER] | Trade Union Professionals or VDP [Nic VAN HOLSTEIN]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

Military branches

Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke Luchtmacht, KLu), Royal Marechaussee (Military Police) (2015)

Military expenditures

1.17% of GDP (2017) | 1.17% of GDP (2016) | 1.16% of GDP (2015) | 1.15% of GDP (2014) | 1.16% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 79

Military service age and obligation

17 years of age for an all-volunteer force (2014)

Age structure

0-14 years: 16.41% (male 1,434,919/female 1,368,437) | 15-24 years: 12.07% (male 1,051,319/female 1,010,969) | 25-54 years: 39.52% (male 3,387,716/female 3,364,010) | 55-64 years: 13.28% (male 1,128,484/female 1,139,703) | 65 years and over: 18.73% (male 1,449,752/female 1,749,410) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

10.9 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 182

Contraceptive prevalence rate

73% | note: percent of women aged 18-45 (2013)

Death rate

8.9 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 67

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 53.1 | youth dependency ratio: 25.6 | elderly dependency ratio: 27.4 | potential support ratio: 3.6 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 100% of population | rural: 100% of population | total: 100% of population | urban: 0% of population | rural: 0% of population | total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

5.6% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 45

Ethnic groups

Dutch 78.6%, EU 5.8%, Turkish 2.4%, Indonesian 2.2%, Moroccan 2.2%, Surinamese 2.1%, Bonairian, Saba Islander, Sint Eustatian 0.8%, other 5.9% (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 95

HIV/AIDS - deaths

<200 (2016 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

23,000 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 73

Health expenditures

10.9% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 15

Hospital bed density

4.7 beds/1,000 population (2009)

Infant mortality rate

total: 3.6 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 3.8 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 3.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 201

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, and Papiamento is a recognized regional language on Bonaire

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 81.4 years | male: 79.3 years | female: 83.7 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 25

Major urban areas - population

AMSTERDAM (capital) 1.091 million; Rotterdam 993,000; The Hague (seat of government) 650,000 (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

7 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 162

Median age

total: 42.6 years | male: 41.5 years | female: 43.6 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 22

Mother's mean age at first birth

29.6 years (2015 est.)

Nationality

noun: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women) | adjective: Dutch

Net migration rate

1.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 49

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

20.4% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 99

Physicians density

3.35 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

17,084,719 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 66

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

0.39% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 165

Religions

Roman Catholic 28%, Protestant 19% (includes Dutch Reformed 9%, Protestant Church of The Netherlands, 7%, Calvinist 3%), other 11% (includes about 5% Muslim and fewer numbers of Hindu, Buddhist, Jehovah's Witness, and Orthodox), none 42% (2009 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 97.5% of population | rural: 99.9% of population | total: 97.7% of population | urban: 2.5% of population | rural: 0.1% of population | total: 2.3% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 18 years | male: 18 years | female: 18 years (2012)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 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: 0.82 male(s)/female | total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.78 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 11.3% | male: 11.3% | female: 11.2% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 102

Urbanization

urban population: 91.5% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 0.72% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

major European producer of synthetic drugs, including ecstasy, and cannabis cultivator; important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; major source of US-bound ecstasy and a significant consumer of ecstasy; a large financial sector vulnerable to money laundering

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 28,394 (Syria); 16,512 (Somalia); 13,488 (Eritrea); 12,740 (Iraq); 5,791 (Afghanistan) (2016) | stateless persons: 1,951 (2016)

Airports

29 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 120

Airports - with paved runways

total: 23 | over 3,047 m: 3 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 | 914 to 1,523 m: 6 | under 914 m: 2 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 6 | 914 to 1,523 m: 4 | under 914 m: 2 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

PH (2016)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant marine

total: 744 | by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 514, carrier 15, chemical tanker 56, container 67, liquefied gas 21, passenger 17, passenger/cargo 14, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 19, specialized tanker 3 | foreign-owned: 196 (Australia 1, Bermuda 1, Denmark 27, Finland 13, France 2, Germany 86, Ireland 8, Italy 6, Japan 1, Norway 19, Sweden 12, UAE 4, US 16) | registered in other countries: 233 (Antigua and Barbuda 17, Bahamas 23, Belize 1, Canada 1, Curacao 43, Cyprus 23, Germany 1, Gibraltar 34, Italy 2, Liberia 31, Luxembourg 3, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 21, Panama 6, Paraguay 1, Philippines 17, Russia 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 1, UK 1, unknown 1) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 15

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 8 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 244 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 34,870,204 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 5,292,794,685 mt-km (2015)

Pipelines

gas 14,000 km; oil and refined products 2,500 km; chemicals 3,000 km (2016)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): IJmuiden, Vlissingen | river port(s): Amsterdam (Nordsee Kanaal); Moerdijk (Hollands Diep River); Rotterdam (Rhine River); Terneuzen (Western Scheldt River) | container port(s) (TEUs): Rotterdam (12,235,000) (2015) | LNG terminal(s) (import): Rotterdam

Railways

total: 3,058 km | standard gauge: 3,058 km 1.435-m gauge (2,314 km electrified) (2016) | country comparison to the world: 56

Roadways

total: 139,124 km (includes 3,654 km of expressways) (2016) | country comparison to the world: 37

Waterways

6,237 km (navigable by ships up to 50 tons) (2012) | country comparison to the world: 21