Netherlands: Population and Key Statistics

EuropeCapital: Amsterdam#40 by population

Despite a population of only 18.2 million, the Netherlands has an economy of more than $1.2 trillion, making it the European Union's fifth-largest. The Port of Rotterdam is Europe's largest port, and despite its small territory the country is one of the world's biggest exporters of agricultural products.

With an income of about $67,000 per capita, internet use at 98 percent, and one of the highest population densities in Europe, the Netherlands is an example of a compact but extremely productive economy.

Population (2025)
18.1 million
18,087,633 people
GDP (2025)
$1,333bn
nominal, current US dollars
GDP per capita
$73,684
Life expectancy
82.0
years
Area
41,540
km²
Population density
435
people/km²
Median age
42.2
Internet usage
97.0%

Military Strength

Military expenditure (2024)
$23.2bn
23,179 million dollars
Share of GDP
1.92%
NATO guideline: 2%
Share of government spending
4.34%
Spending per capita
$1,281
per year, per person
Armed forces (2020)
41 thousand
41,000 active personnel
Armed forces per 1,000 people
2.3
0.42% of the labor force

Expenditure figures come from SIPRI and personnel counts from the IISS, both distributed through the World Bank. Source years differ by indicator, so each figure is shown with its own year.

How Netherlands compares

Netherlands and Germany — core indicators
020 b40 b60 b80 bGDP per capita ($)Life expectancy (years)Internet usage (%)GDP per capita ($) — Netherlands: 73.684Life expectancy (years) — Netherlands: 82Internet usage (%) — Netherlands: 97GDP per capita ($) — Germany: 60.496Life expectancy (years) — Germany: 80,8Internet usage (%) — Germany: 93,5
NetherlandsGermany

The indicators use different scales, so the chart is a rough visual comparison only. For exact figures see the full side-by-side comparison.

Data sourcesPopulation and social indicators: UN World Population Prospects, World BankEconomy: IMF World Economic Outlook, World BankMilitary: SIPRI and IISS, distributed through the World BankLast refreshed: 2026-08-26