Netherlands Factsheet

Last update : June 2012

Demography

Population: 16.4 million

Population Density (inhabitant/km2): 395 (national average), 1,207.3 (province of South Holland - highest), 181.9 (province of Drenthe - lowest)

Largest Cities (pop. in million): Amsterdam (1.5 m), Rotterdam (1.1m), Utrecht (0.82 m), The Hague (0.60 m), Leiden (0.25 m)

Number of municipalities: 458

Home Ownership: 54% (2005)

Urban Population: 80%

Life Expectancy: 79.4 (average), 76.8 years (men), 82.14 years (women) (2009 est.)

Birth Rate: 10.9 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death Rate: 8.68 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Ethnic Composition: Caucasians (87%), Arabs (5%), East Asians (3%), Black Africans (2.5%), Others (2.5%)

Registered foreigners (2007) : 3,315,000, among which 396,000 Indonesians, 386,000 Germans, 358,000 Turks, 328,000 Surinamese, 314,000 Moroccans, 240,000 Caribbeans, 112,000 Belgians, 76,000 Britons, 44,000 Chinese, 44,000 Iraqi, 40,000 Pakistani.

Official Language: Dutch

Major Religions: Agnosticism, Atheism, Protestantism (Dutch Reformed, Calvinist), Roman Catholicism, Islam

Geography

Area: 41,526 sq km

Coastline: 451 km

Highest Peak: Vaalserberg (321m)

Lowest Elevation: Zuidplaspolder ( -7 m)

Economy

Monetary unit: Euro (€, EUR)

Fiscal Year: 1 January - 31 December

GDP (nominal - IMF): US$882 billion (2011)

GNI per capita (Atlas methodology): US$49,030 (2011)

GDP per capita at PPP: US$41,949 (2011 - IMF)

GDP - real growth rate: 1.5% (2011)

Inflation (consumer prices): 1.2 % (2009)

Unemployment: 5.2% (April 2012)

Public Debt (% of GDP) : 62.2 (2011)

Main Industries: agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electronic machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing

Main Exports: machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs

Main Imports: machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, clothing

Main Trading Partners: Germany, Belgium, France, UK, USA, China, Italy

Government

Type of Government: Constitutional Monarchy

Parliamentary System : bicameral Diet (First Chamber and Second Chamber)

Administrative Division : 12 provinces

Capital: Amsterdam (since 1806)

Head of State: Queen Beatrix (since 1980)

Prime Minister: Mark Rutte (since 2010)

Miscellaneous

Time Zone: GMT/UTC +1

Electricity: 230V AC, 50Hz

Weights & measures: Metric

Internet domain: .nl

International dialling code: +31