Netherlands — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Netherlands: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Netherlands is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany. It covers 41,543 sq km. Terrain: mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast. Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters.
| Capital | Amsterdam |
|---|---|
| Population | 17,833,885 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $1.276 trillion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $70,900 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 1% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 3.3% (2024 est.) |
| Unemployment | 3.6% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 56.5% of GDP (2017 est.) |
| Exports | $1.032 trillion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $884.154 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 81.9 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 42.2 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 93.2% of total population (2023) |
| Government | parliamentary constitutional monarchy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Independence | 26 July 1581 |
| Languages | Dutch (official), Frisian (official in Fryslan province) |
Netherlands’s GDP is $1.276 trillion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $1.228 trillion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 1% (2024 est.). See where Netherlands ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The minority government held together through a fragmented parliament — an achievement in itself — and marked its UNGA debut with an outward-facing posture.
Modest growth, tight labour markets, no shocks: the Dutch quarter was competent and unremarkable, exactly as scored.
- What our model rewards: inflation tamed at 3.3%; a current-account surplus of $122 billion — the world pays it more than it pays out
Natural gas, Oil, Salt.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 100% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 46.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); nuclear: 3.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 17.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 24.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 185.536 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 926.5 TWh (2024) |
| Electricity generation (OWID) | 122.3 TWh (2024) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 50,825 kWh per person (2024) |
| Electricity generation mix (OWID) | Gas 36.0%, Wind 27.0%, Solar 17.7%, Coal 6.7%, Oil 3.6%, Nuclear 2.9%, Hydro 0.1% (2024) |
| Low-carbon share of electricity (OWID) | 53.7% (2024) |
| Carbon intensity of electricity (OWID) | 253.3 gCO2/kWh (2024) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2024.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $1.032 trillion (2024 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $884.154 billion (2024 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Surplus of $147.8 billion (2024), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Rob Jetten — Prime Minister. King WILLEM-ALEXANDER (since 30 April 2013)
Netherlands maintains 106 embassies and 28 consulates abroad, hosts 107 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, UN Geneva, EU Brussels, NATO Brussels, OECD Paris, UNESCO Paris, OSCE Vienna, CoE Strasbourg. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 106 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 28 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 107 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, UN Geneva, EU Brussels, NATO Brussels, OECD Paris, UNESCO Paris, OSCE Vienna, CoE Strasbourg |
Source: Abroad: Lowy GDI 2024 via Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_diplomatic_missions . Hosted: Consular Affairs Center in-country ranking, Mar 2026 (The Hague 107). Multilateral rosters as for AUT.
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 451 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 44 + 194 heliports (registration prefix PH) |
| Major seaports | Amsterdam, Dordrecht, Europoort, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Vlissingen |
| Railways | 3055 km |
| Pipelines | 14,000 km gas, 2,500 km oil and refined products, 3,000 km chemicals (2017) |
| Top container ports (TEU) | Rotterdam (15,300,000 TEU, 2021) |
Major airports
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) — Amsterdam; Eindhoven Airport (EIN) — Eindhoven; Groningen Airport Eelde (GRQ) — Groningen; Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST) — Maastricht; Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM) — Rotterdam.
Terminals
| LNG import terminals | Gate (Rotterdam) |
|---|---|
| River ports | Amsterdam (Nordsee Kanaal); Moerdijk (Hollands Diep River); Rotterdam (Rhine River); Terneuzen (Western Scheldt River) |
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
|---|---|
| Last election | 2025 — parliamentary (snap); 2025-10-29; winner: Rob Jetten (Democrats 66 (D66)); Snap election after Schoof cabinet collapsed when PVV left the coalition; all mainstream parties ruled out governing with Wilders Reuters |
| Next election | 2029 — general (scheduled) |
Source: constitutional schedule / public election calendar
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Netherlands.
Historical timeline of Netherlands
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Netherlands — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Netherlands's power score?
Netherlands has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.