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The Netherlands: facts and figures

The statistics below – unless otherwise mentioned – have been provided by Statistics Netherlands (CBS). The list was last updated in March 2005. You can find the latest statistics on the CBS website: Externe link www.cbs.nl.

  1. System of government
  2. Geography
  3. Population
  4. Economy

1. System of Government

Year

Head of state

Queen Beatrix

Head of government

Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende

System of government

Constitutional monarchy

National language

Dutch

Capital city

Amsterdam

Population

744.000

2006

Seat of government

The Hague

Population

475.000

2006

Number of municipalities

443

2006

Number of provinces

12

Provinces

Provincial capital

Noord-Brabant

‘s-Hertogenbosch

Drenthe

Assen

Flevoland

Lelystad

Friesland

Leeuwarden

Groningen

Groningen

Gelderland

Arnhem

Zuid-Holland

Den Haag (The Hague)

Noord-Holland

Haarlem

Limburg

Maastricht

Overijssel

Zwolle

Utrecht

Utrecht

Zeeand

Middelburg

2. Geography

Geography

Value

Year

Total area

41.500 km²

2004

Land

33.800 km²

2004

Water

7.700 km²

2004

Land below sea level

26 %

2005 [i]

National parks

2,8 % of total surface area

2005 [ii]

Geografical position

Western Europa
between 53°33’22” and 50°45’4” latitude North
between 3°21’30” and 7°13’42” longitude East

Highest point above Amsterdam

Vaalserberg (Limbourg)

323 m

Lowest point below Amsterdam

Nieuwerkerk aan den Ijssel (South Holland)

– 6.7 m

Climate

temperate maritime

Average temperature

July

17,4 °C

Average temperature

January

2,8 °C

Externe link [i] Source: Externe link Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management
Externe link [ii] Source: Externe link Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality

3. Population

Demographics

Value

Year

Population

16.357.000

2007

Population per km 2 of land

485

2007

Increase in population

0,1 %

2006

Average life expectancy: men

77,1 ans

2007

Average life expectancy: women

81,3 ans

2007

Immigration from:

101.000

2006

Germany

10.400

Turkey

3.400

the Dutch Antilles and Aruba

4.900

the United Kingdom

5.600

Belgium

6.100

Emigration (destination)

91.000

2006

Germany

11.000

Belgium

12.000

The United Kingdom

9.000

the Dutch Antilles and Aruba

6.300

the United States

5.000

Persons born in the Netherlands who have remigrated

23.500

2006

Belgium

3.600

Germany

3.600

from the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba

1.900

from the United States

1.500

from the United Kingdom

1.400

Population by age

2006

0-19

24,2 %

20-49

26,4 %

40-64

34,9 %

65 and older

14,5 %

Religion

2004

Catholic

30 %

Protestant

21 %

Muslim

6 %

Hindu

1 %

Other religions

2 %

None

41 %

Educational attainment among the population aged 15-64

2006

Primary education

33 %

Secundary education

41 %

Higher education

25 %

Population born abroad or with one or both parents born abroad

19,4 %

2007

Indonesia

2,4 %

Germany

2,3 %

Turkey

2,3 %

Suriname

2,0 %

Morocco

2,0 %

Persons with a computer at home

82 %

2004

Persons with an Internet connection at home

73 %

2004

Home owners

53 %

2004

4. Economy

Currency

Euro

Exchange rate

1,36 $

July 2007 Externe link [iii]

Macroeconomic figures

Value

Year

Gross domestic product (GDP)

505,6 billion euros

2005

Per capita GDP

30.174 euros

2006

GDP growth

1,5 %

2005

Inflation

1,1 %

2006

Start-up enterprises

7,9 %

2005

Enterprises selling via the Internet

53 %

2002

Enterprises with more than 5% of sales via the Internet

24 %

2002

Total workforce

7.500.000

2006

Those in work

7.100.000

2006

Men

72 %

2005

Women

54 %

2005

Unemployment rate

5,5 %

2005

Productivity

70.000 €

2005

Part time workforce

48 %

2005

Those in work per economic sector

2005

Agriculture and fisheries

3 %

Industry

21 %

Commercial services

38%

Non-commercial services

34 %

Contribution to GDP per economic sector

2005

Agriculture and fisheries

2 %

Extractive industries

3 %

Industry

13 %

Energy and water

1 %

Construction

5 %

Trade, hotel and catering, and repair

13 %

Transport, storage and communication

6 %

Financial and business services

24 %

Public sector

11 %

Health care and other services

11 %

Traffic and transport

Value

Year

Main airport

Schiphol (Amsterdam)

Number of passengers

44.100.000

2005

Freight tonnage

1 400 000 tonnes

2005

Main seaport

Rotterdam

Freight tonnage

370.000.000 tonnes

2005

Road per inhabitant

0,008 km

2006

Private cars per 1,000 inhabitants

443

2005

Bicycle ownership

81,4 %

2005

Exports, imports and investment

Value

Year

Value of exports – world ranking

6

2006 Externe link [iv]

Export Value

318.100 millions euros

2006

to Belgium

12 %

to Germany

25 %

to France

8 %

to the United Kingdom

9 %

to the United States

5 %

Import value Value: 8 / Year: 2006

285.100 million euros

2006

from Belgium

11 %

from Germany

19 %

from France

5 %

from the United Kingdom

6 %

from the United States

8 %

Dutch foreign investment in:

561.500 million euros

2005 Externe link [v]

in Belgium

46.156

in Germany

41.235

in France

35.223

in the United Kingdom

96.422

in the United States

78.470

Foreign investment in the Netherlands from:

407.945 million euros

2005 Externe link [vi]

from Belgium

35.807

from Germany

44.526

from France

26.102

from the United Kingdom

57.085

in the United States

69.140

Externe link [iii] Source: Externe link The Nederlandsche Bank
Externe link [iv] Source: Externe link wto
Externe link [v] Source: Externe link The Nederlandsche Bank
Externe link [vi] Source: Externe link The Nederlandsche Bank

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