Economy of the Netherlands

Netherlands
World economic rank	18. (nominal) (2016)
currency	Euro (EUR)
Trade organizations	EU , WTO , OECD
Key figures
Gross domestic product (GDP)	$ 771 billion (nominal) (2016) $ 869 billion (PPP) (2016)
GDP per capita	$ 45,283 (nominal) (2016) $ 51,049 (PPP) (2016)
GDP by economic sector	Agriculture : 1.7% Industry : 23.9% Services : 74.4%
growth	▲ + 2.2% (2016)
inflation rate	0.21% (2015)
Employed	8.34 million (2015)
Activity rate	79.5% (2016) 52.5% (real) (2009)
Unemployed	approx. 390,000
Unemployment rate	5.8% (August 2016)
Foreign trade
export	€ 567.2 billion (2015)
Export goods	Machines, chemical products, food
Export partner	Germany : 24.1% Belgium : 11% France : 8.9%
import	€ 456.37 billion (2015)
Import goods	Machines, chemical products, finished products
Import partner	Germany : 19.7% Belgium : 9.9% USA : 8.5%
Foreign trade balance	€ 39.2 billion (2009)
public finances
Public debt	58.7% of GDP (Q2 / 2017)
Government revenue	43.8% of GDP (2016)
Government spending	43.4% of GDP (2016)
Budget balance	−0.4% of GDP (2009)

The economy of the Netherlands is mainly concentrated in the secondary ( industry ) and tertiary ( service ) economic sectors.

General

The core elements of the Dutch economy have traditionally been trade and distribution. Fisheries and shipping form the historical basis for the development of foreign trade and industry . In line with its history as a trading nation, the country has developed into Europe's distribution hub. The Netherlands has been a member of the European Union since 1952 and is also a member of the Benelux Community , NATO and the United Nations .

The key economic data from 2009 are as follows:

• GDP (Gross Domestic Product): 569 billion euros
• GDP per capita: 34,788 euros
• Economic growth : −4 percent
• Unemployment : 420,000 unemployed = 5.5 percent
• Inflation rate : 1.2 percent

The Dutch planning office (Centraal Planbureau, CPB) expects GDP to grow slightly by 1.5 percent in 2010. Unemployment was 5.7 percent in February 2010 and, according to analysts, should rise further to 6.5 percent. In March 2010, the inflation rate was 1 percent, a slight improvement compared to 2009 with 1.2 percent.

Economic geography

The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. The population is concentrated in the Randstad , the area between the large western cities of Amsterdam , Rotterdam , Utrecht and The Hague . The Randstad's prerequisites as a motor for the Dutch economy are very good: Many goods delivered by sea are transported to the European hinterland via the two large ports of Rotterdam (goods handled in 2009: 385 million tons) and Amsterdam (goods handled in 2009: 73 million tons) . At the same time, the capital Amsterdam is also home to one of the largest international airports, Schiphol Airport . In 2009 Schiphol was the fifth largest cargo airport in Europe with a cargo volume of around 1.3 million tons and 44 million passengers. In addition to large goods transshipment points, the Netherlands has an efficient infrastructure, a highly qualified workforce, business-friendly approval procedures and favorable legal framework conditions.

GDP by province

rank	province	GDP PPP in € million	GDP / capita, PPS , (EU28 = 100) (2015)	GDP / capita in € (nominal) (2015)
1	North Holland	131,317	164	47,400
2	Utrecht	54,928	150	43,300
3	Groningen	24,232	144	41,500
4th	North Brabant	94,613	131	38,000
5	South Holland	133,715	128	37,000
-	Netherlands	626,587	128	37,000
6th	Limburg	37,653	108	31,200
7th	Gelderland	62,871	107	31,000
8th	Overijssel	34,466	105	30,200
-	EU-28	14,714,029	100	28,900
9	Zeeland	10,961	100	28,800
10	Flevoland	11,418	98	28,300
11	Drenthe	12,788	91	26,200
12	Fryslân	16,836	90	26,100

Importance of the individual industries

Agriculture

Agriculture's percentage of GDP is relatively small, but it is an important factor in the Dutch economy. Because of the small area of ​​the Netherlands, agriculture is very intensive. Intensive livestock farming and monocultures are the predominant forms. This intensification allows the maximum yield to be achieved with the least possible effort. The disadvantage is the high environmental impact caused by this type of economy. The consequences are high groundwater pollution and over-fertilization . The quality of many plant products also suffers from the leaching of the soil in terms of vitamin and nutrient content.

In agricultural terms, the Netherlands is an exporter . Food exports clearly outnumber imports (mainly grain and fruits ). The main product is pork . The Netherlands is one of the largest exporters of pork. After the USA , the Netherlands is the world's second largest exporter of agricultural products. The agriculturally used area in the Netherlands is divided into the following areas: 50% is pasture, 40% grow crops and about 10% is used for cut flowers , a typical product of the Netherlands. In the cities, multi-storey industrial farms are also being operated on an experimental basis, where pigs and chickens are kept. Viticulture has been back on a modest scale since the early 1970s .

Forestry and fishing

While fishing is still very important in the Dutch economy, forestry is practically non-existent due to the lack of forests.

Mining and energy

The Netherlands is actually a country poor in natural resources, with one exception: natural gas . It has large deposits of this and was able to stop coal production after its discovery in the 1950s . The country has a single nuclear power plant ( Borssele nuclear power plant , 482 MW), an expansion was planned, but will not be pursued by the participating companies for economic reasons.

From the 1990s, wind energy became more and more important in the energy sector. At the end of 2016, the state had an installed capacity of 4,328 MW, which put the country in 16th place worldwide in terms of installed capacity. Most of the wind turbines are on land, but the country is also driving the expansion of offshore wind energy. The Egmond aan Zee and Princess Amalia offshore wind farms went into operation in 2006 and 2008, respectively, and the Luchterduinen , Westermeerwind and Gemini offshore wind farms between 2015 and 2017 . With 600 MW, Gemini is one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world (see also: List of offshore wind farms ).

Industry

Industrial production only gained importance in the Netherlands after the Second World War . The heavy industry did not attain the important position they occupied in neighboring European countries in the Netherlands. After 1945 the manufacturing industry grew rapidly, especially in the chemical and electronics industry . Other important sectors were food and beverage, tobacco products , building materials, ships , refined petroleum , rubber and plastic products, and printed matter.

Banking

The banking system is an important part of the Dutch economy. Above all, Amsterdam is an international banking center.

tourism

→ Main article : Tourism in the Netherlands

The Netherlands are an attractive destination. The main attractions are the windmills , the flower fields, museums and the cities, Amsterdam is one of the most popular . Every year over 13 million foreign tourists visit the Netherlands.

Infrastructure

The Netherlands has a well-developed road network. For example, the country's motorway network is one of the densest and best developed in the world. This also applies to the rail network, which is available nationwide. However, the Netherlands is particularly cheap for shipping. First of all, the country is located at several large estuaries ( Rhine or Waal , Maas , Lek , Schelde ) and also has a well-developed network of canals, which can also be used by larger ships. There is a nationwide zone tariff system for trams, buses and some regional rail connections ( Nationale vervoerbewijzen NVB). The bicycle , called fiets , plays an important role in passenger transport . The flat land benefits this circumstance.

Foreign trade

Germany is the Netherlands' most important trading partner. About a quarter of all Dutch exports (including re- exports ) go to the Federal Republic. The supposedly small Netherlands, with a turnover of 157.3 billion euros (2012) in bilateral foreign trade, is second only to France among the German partner countries. This is divided into 70.8 billion euros for exports to the Netherlands and 86.5 billion euros for imports from the Netherlands. This makes the Federal Republic of Germany the most important exporter to the Netherlands.

The economic developments in Germany accordingly have a major impact on the Netherlands. The Dutch export reacts quickly to economic fluctuations in the neighboring country.

The Netherlands mainly exports food, flowers, machinery, chemical products and natural gas. Fruits and cereals, oil and vehicles are imported. The Netherlands has a positive trade balance in 2016 , which means that exports exceed the value of imported products by almost 50 billion euros.

Key figures

Change in gross domestic product (GDP), real Eurostat

year	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Change in% yoy	3.5	3.7	1.7	−3.8	1.7	1.4	−1.1	−0.2	1.4	2.3	2.2

Development of GDP (nominal), Eurostat

absolute (in billion euros)				per inhabitant (in thousands of euros)
year	2014	2015	2016	year	2014	2015	2016
GDP in billions of euros	663	683	702	GDP per inhabitant (in € thousand)	39.3	40.4	41.3

Foreign Trade Development (GTAI)

in billion US dollars and its percentage change from the previous year
	2014		2015		2016
	Billion USD	% yoy	Billion USD	% yoy	Billion USD	% year-on-year
import	382.4	−1.0	383.2	+0.2	380.6	−0.7
export	433.4	+0.1	427.3	−1.4	432.3	+1.2
balance	+51.0		+44.1		+51.7

Main trading partner of the Netherlands (2016), source: GTAI

Export (in percent) to		Import (in percent) of
Germany	24.4	Germany	15.4
Belgium	10.8	People's Republic of China	14.2
United Kingdom	9.5	Belgium	8.4
France	8.9	United States	8.0
Italy	4.3	United Kingdom	5.3
United States	3.6	Russia	4.1
Spain	3.2	France	3.5
other countries	35.3	other countries	41.1

See also

• German-Dutch relations

Web links

• Network presence of the German-Dutch Chamber of Commerce (DNHK) ( German, Dutch )
• Overview of economic facts and cultural differences D-NL ( German, Dutch )
• NetherlandsNet.de
• Web presence of the Central Statistical Office of the Netherlands CBS ( Dutch )
• Web presence of the Dutch planning office CPB ( Dutch )

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} World Economic Outlook Database. International Monetary Fund , accessed October 1, 2010 . 
2. ^ National accounts aggregates and employment according to economic sectors. Eurostat , accessed 1 October 2010 . 
3. ↑ ec.europa.eu
4. ↑ 'Netherlands: Inflation rate from 2006 to 2016'
5. ↑ 'Netherlands: Number of persons in employment from 2006 to 2016'
6. ↑ 'European Union: Employment rates in the member states in the first quarter of 2016' only refers to the 15-64 age group. Retrieved October 1, 2010
7. ↑ 'Netherlands: Unemployment rate, seasonally adjusted (3M) 5.8% (August) compared to 6% previously'
8. ↑ 'The Netherlands: Export of Goods from 2005 to 2015' Retrieved October 1, 2010
9. ↑ Economic profile of the Netherlands - DNHK  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 1, 2010  
10. ↑ Economic profile of the Netherlands - DNHK  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 1, 2010  
11. ↑ Eurostat , accessed October 1, 2010.
12. ↑ Economic profile of the Netherlands - DNHK  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 1, 2010  
13. ↑ Economic profile of the Netherlands - DNHK  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 1, 2010  
14. ↑ Eurostat , accessed October 1, 2010.
15. ^ Public debt - Eurostat , accessed October 1, 2010.
16. ↑ Total government revenue - Eurostat , accessed October 1, 2010.
17. ↑ General government expenditure - Eurostat , accessed October 1, 2010.
18. ^ Government deficit - Eurostat , accessed October 1, 2010.
19. ↑ Economic profile of the Netherlands  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , P. 6, point 2.1 Key economic data and development of GDP, published by the German-Dutch Chamber of Commerce (DNHK) in April 2010.  
20. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from July 8, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Core data from the Central Statistical Office of the Netherlands, Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS). 
21. ↑ Economic profile of the Netherlands  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , P. 5, point 1.3 Economic geography, published by the German-Dutch Chamber of Commerce (DNHK) in April 2010.  
22. ↑ Eurostat. (PDF) Retrieved April 23, 2018 . 
23. ↑ Netherlands: Vegetables are running out of vitamins. In: DiePresse.com. April 28, 2008. Retrieved January 20, 2018 . 
24. ↑ The planned Borssele II nuclear power plant is about to be shut down . In: Aachener Zeitung , January 6, 2012. Accessed August 6, 2014.
25. ↑ Global Wind Statistics 2016 (PDF) Global Wind Energy Council. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
26. ↑ Economic profile of the Netherlands Source: Federal Statistical Office, Wiesbaden.
27. ↑ Economic profile of the Netherlands  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Pp. 7–8, point 2.3 Foreign trade, published by the German-Dutch Chamber of Commerce (DNHK) in April 2010.  
28. ↑ Eurostat - Tables, Graphs and Maps Interface (TGM) table. Retrieved July 25, 2017 . 
29. ↑ Database - Eurostat. Retrieved July 25, 2017 (UK English). 
30. ↑ Germany Trade and Invest GmbH: GTAI - Compact economic data. Retrieved July 25, 2017 . 
31. ↑ Germany Trade and Invest GmbH: GTAI - Compact economic data. Retrieved July 25, 2017 .