OECD Economic Surveys: Netherlands 2021

Abstract

This Survey is published on the responsibility of the Economic and Development Review Committee of the OECD, which is charged with the examination of the economic situation of member countries.

The economic situation and policies of the Netherlands were reviewed by the Committee on 19 April 2021. The draft report was then revised in the light of the discussions and given final approval as the agreed report of the whole Committee on 27 May 2021.

The Secretariat’s draft report was prepared for the Committee by Jon Pareliussen, Daniela Glocker and Martin Borowiecki under the supervision of Isabelle Joumard. Statistical research assistance was provided by Steven Cassimon and Eun Jung Kim, and editorial assistance by Karimatou Diallo.

The previous Survey of the Netherlands was issued in July 2018.

Information about the latest as well as previous Surveys and more information about how Surveys are prepared is available at http://www.oecd.org/eco/surveys.

Basic statistics of the Netherlands, 2019

(Numbers in parentheses refer to the OECD average)1

LAND, PEOPLE AND ELECTORAL CYCLE
Population (million)	17.3		Population density per km² (2018)	511.8	(38.1)
Under 15 (%)	15.9	(17.9)	Life expectancy at birth (years, 2018)	81.8	(80.1)
Over 65 (%)	19.6	(17.1)	Men (2018)	80.3	(77.5)
International migrant stock (% of population)	13.4	(13.2)	Women (2018)	83.4	(82.8)
Latest 5-year average growth (%)	0.5	(0.6)	Latest general election	March-2021
ECONOMY
Gross domestic product (GDP)			Value added shares (%)
In current prices (billion USD)	907.0		Agriculture, forestry and fishing	1.8	(2.7)
In current prices (billion EUR)	810.2		Industry including construction	19.9	(26.6)
Latest 5-year average real growth (%)	2.2	(2.2)	Services	78.3	(70.8)
Per capita (000 USD PPP)	59.5	(47.6)
GENERAL GOVERNMENT Per cent of GDP
Expenditure	42.0	(40.6)	Gross financial debt (OECD: 2018)	62.5	(107.6)
Revenue	43.7	(37.5)	Net financial debt (OECD: 2018)	30.6	(67.9)
EXTERNAL ACCOUNTS
Exchange rate (EUR per USD)	0.89		Main exports (% of total merchandise exports)
PPP exchange rate (USA = 1)	0.79		Machinery and transport equipment	29.9
In per cent of GDP			Chemicals and related products, n.e.s.	16.6
Exports of goods and services	83.3	(53.6)	Food and live animals	12.9
Imports of goods and services	72.9	(50.1)	Main imports (% of total merchandise imports)
Current account balance	9.9	(0.3)	Machinery and transport equipment	32.8
Net international investment position	90.3		Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials	14.1
			Miscellaneous manufactured articles	13.6
LABOUR MARKET, SKILLS AND INNOVATION
Employment rate (aged 15 and over, %)	62.6	(57.5)	Unemployment rate, Labour Force Survey (aged 15 and over, %)	3.4	(5.4)
Men	67.5	(65.6)	Youth (aged 15-24, %)	6.8	(11.8)
Women	57.8	(49.9)	Long-term unemployed (1 year and over, %)	1.0	(1.4)
Participation rate (aged 15 and over, %)	64.8	(61.1)	Tertiary educational attainment (aged 25-64, %)	40.4	(38.0)
Average hours worked per year	1,434	(1,726)	Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP, 2018)	2.2	(2.6)
ENVIRONMENT
Total primary energy supply per capita (toe)	4.1	(3.9)	CO2 emissions from fuel combustion per capita (tonnes)	8.2	( 8.3)
Renewables (%)	7.2	(10.8)	Water abstractions per capita (1 000 m³, 2018)	0.5
Exposure to air pollution (more than 10 μg/m³ of PM 2.5, % of population)	98.6	(61.7)	Municipal waste per capita (tonnes)	0.5	(0.5)
SOCIETY
Income inequality (Gini coefficient, 2016)	0.285	(0.315)	Education outcomes (PISA score, 2018)
Relative poverty rate (%, 2016)	8.3	(11.7)	Reading	485	(487)
Median disposable household income (000 USD PPP, 2016)	30.0	(22.8)	Mathematics	519	(489)
Public and private spending (% of GDP)			Science	503	(489)
Health care	10.0	(8.8)	Share of women in parliament (%)	31.3	(30.7)
Pensions (2017)	6.0	(8.6)	Net official development assistance (% of GNI, 2017)	0.6	(0.4)
Education (% of GNI, 2018)	5.0	(4.5)

1. The year is indicated in parenthesis if it deviates from the year in the main title of this table.

Where the OECD aggregate is not provided in the source database, a simple OECD average of latest available data is calculated where data exist for at least 80% of member countries.

Source: Calculations based on data extracted from databases of the following organisations: OECD, IAE, ILO, IMF, United Nations, World Bank.