Capital

Niederlande

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

time zone note: time descriptions apply to the continental Netherlands only, for the constituent countries in the Caribbean, the time difference is UTC-4

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

Citizenship

Niederlande

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

Legal system

Niederlande

civil law system based on the French system; constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of the States General

Suffrage

Niederlande

18 years of age; universal

Area

Niederlande

total: 41,543 sq km

land: 33,893 sq km

water: 7,650 sq km

Land use

Niederlande

agricultural land: 55.1% (2018 est.)

arable land: 29.8% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 24.2% (2018 est.)

forest: 10.8% (2018 est.)

other: 34.1% (2018 est.)

Location

Niederlande

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

Age structure

Niederlande

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)

Birth rate

Niederlande

10.5 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Niederlande

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

Languages

Niederlande

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

Niederlande

total population: 81.7 years (2023 est.)

male: 80.1 years

female: 83.3 years

Major urban areas - population

Niederlande

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

Median age

Niederlande

total: 42.2 years (2023 est.)

male: 41 years

female: 43.4 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Niederlande

30.2 years (2020 est.)

Net migration rate

Niederlande

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

Population distribution

Niederlande

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

Niederlande

0.48% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Niederlande

1.61 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Niederlande

urban population: 93.2% of total population (2023)

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

Education expenditures

Niederlande

5.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Niederlande

total: 19 years

male: 18 years

female: 19 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Niederlande

1.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Niederlande

4.93% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Niederlande

9.902 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Niederlande

13.6% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate

Niederlande

4.01% (2021 est.)

3.82% (2020 est.)

3.38% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Niederlande

56.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

61.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Niederlande

2.68% (2021 est.)

1.27% (2020 est.)

2.63% (2019 est.)

Exports

Niederlande

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

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

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

Exports - partners

Niederlande

Germany 20%, Belgium 12%, United Kingdom 9%, France 7%, United States 5% (2019)

Imports

Niederlande

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

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

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

Imports - partners

Niederlande

Germany 15%, China 11%, Belgium 9%, United States 8%, Russia 7%, United Kingdom 5% (2019)

Airports

Niederlande

29 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Niederlande

total: 7,525,016 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 44 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Niederlande

total: 16.56 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 92% (2021 est.)

Railways

Niederlande

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

Roadways

Niederlande

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

Telephones - fixed lines

Niederlande

total subscriptions: 5.024 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 29 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Niederlande

total subscriptions: 21.888 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 125 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Niederlande

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

Disputes - international

Niederlande

none identified