01
Physical geography
Mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast.
Local timeAmsterdam ·
Europe / Western Europe · Card 036
Netherlands
Netherlands is a country in Western Europe. Its capital is Amsterdam.
Find Netherlands
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers. The maps show the European Netherlands. The Kingdom also includes Caribbean countries and the Netherlands has Caribbean public bodies.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers. The maps show the European Netherlands. The Kingdom also includes Caribbean countries and the Netherlands has Caribbean public bodies.
At a glance
- Capital
- AmsterdamAmsterdam is the constitutional capital; the government and parliament sit in The Hague.
- Languages
- Dutch
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Population
- 18.1 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 41,850 km²16,158.37 square miles
- Independence
- 1648Independence recognized after the revolt against Spain.
Netherlands in context
Europe and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Amsterdam; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Dutch.
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Location
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany. Amsterdam is the constitutional capital; the government and parliament sit in The Hague.
Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of bright red (top), white, and cobalt blue
History & independence
The Dutch revolt against Spanish rule began in the sixteenth century. The northern provinces renounced the Spanish king in 1581, and their independence was recognized in 1648. The modern kingdom was established in 1815.
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The northern provinces renounce the Spanish king
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Dutch independence is recognized
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The Kingdom of the Netherlands is established
Economy
Main activities
Trade, logistics, business services, high-tech manufacturing and agriculture are major activities. Rotterdam's port and extensive transport networks connect European markets. The Netherlands is a founding participant in European integration.
Industry and production
agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people18.12025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 13,038,526 | 13.039 |
| 1980 | 14,149,800 | 14.150 |
| 1990 | 14,951,510 | 14.952 |
| 2000 | 15,925,513 | 15.926 |
| 2010 | 16,615,394 | 16.615 |
| 2020 | 17,441,500 | 17.442 |
| 2025 | 18,087,633 | 18.088 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars937.22025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 468,115,367,208 | 468.115 |
| 1991 | 479,533,329,878 | 479.533 |
| 1992 | 487,714,508,979 | 487.715 |
| 1993 | 493,847,773,249 | 493.848 |
| 1994 | 508,471,062,735 | 508.471 |
| 1995 | 524,315,203,787 | 524.315 |
| 1996 | 542,250,115,007 | 542.250 |
| 1997 | 565,287,469,993 | 565.287 |
| 1998 | 591,560,354,220 | 591.560 |
| 1999 | 621,394,767,005 | 621.395 |
| 2000 | 647,615,764,136 | 647.616 |
| 2001 | 662,663,663,970 | 662.664 |
| 2002 | 664,292,686,856 | 664.293 |
| 2003 | 664,942,730,063 | 664.943 |
| 2004 | 678,349,859,388 | 678.350 |
| 2005 | 692,147,602,470 | 692.148 |
| 2006 | 716,630,910,947 | 716.631 |
| 2007 | 744,475,056,649 | 744.475 |
| 2008 | 760,233,696,247 | 760.234 |
| 2009 | 732,368,991,450 | 732.369 |
| 2010 | 742,031,522,823 | 742.032 |
| 2011 | 755,189,991,605 | 755.190 |
| 2012 | 747,805,546,602 | 747.806 |
| 2013 | 747,579,402,589 | 747.579 |
| 2014 | 759,634,560,414 | 759.635 |
| 2015 | 775,743,675,303 | 775.744 |
| 2016 | 794,549,879,152 | 794.550 |
| 2017 | 816,650,350,360 | 816.650 |
| 2018 | 835,096,289,735 | 835.096 |
| 2019 | 854,304,853,959 | 854.305 |
| 2020 | 821,260,366,625 | 821.260 |
| 2021 | 872,809,532,457 | 872.810 |
| 2022 | 916,513,152,782 | 916.513 |
| 2023 | 911,031,844,894 | 911.032 |
| 2024 | 920,814,790,664 | 920.815 |
| 2025 | 937,247,947,433 | 937.248 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.955Very High human developmentRank 8 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.855
20000.900
20100.925
20200.945
20230.955
82.2 yearsLife expectancy at birth
12.7 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy; part of the kingdom of the netherlands. States General (Staten-Generaal) has two chambers (a bicameral legislature).
Knowledge check
Three questions about Netherlands.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which city is identified as the capital of Netherlands?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.