Netherlands: Economic System - World Health Systems Facts

Population (2022): 17,703,090
Gross National Income, Atlas method (Current US$) (Billions) (2021): $967.49
GNI per capita, Atlas method (Current US$) (2021): $55,180
Income Share Held by Lowest 20% (2021): 9.2%
Gross Domestic Product (Current US$) (Billions) (2021): $1,011.80

Source: World Bank. Country Profile: Netherlands. World Development Indicators. Last accessed Oct. 14, 2023.

Population, 2021: 17,502,000
Annual Population Growth Rate, 2020-2030 (%): 0.3%
Life Expectancy at Birth, 2021: 82
Share of Urban Population, 2021: 93%
Annual Growth Rate of Urban Population, 2020-2030 (%): 0.5%
Gross Domestic Product Per Capita (Current USD) (2010-2019): $52,295
Share of Household Income (2010-2019):
Bottom 40%: 23%; Top 20%: 37%; Bottom 20%: 9%
Gini Coefficient (2010-2019): 28
Palma Index of Income Inequality (2010-2019): 1.0

Note: Gini coefficient – Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality.
Palma index of income inequality – Palma index is defined as the ratio of the richest 10% of the population’s share of gross national income divided by the poorest 40%’s share.

Source: United Nations Children’s Fund, The State of the World’s Children 2023: For every child, vaccination, UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight, Florence, April 2023.

“With a world top 20 ranking of GDP, the Netherlands is a wealthy country. A location near the sea and a good logistic infrastructure that serves as the gateway to the German hinterland importantly contribute to the Netherlands’ top 10 position in export. Key drivers of the Dutch economy are financial and commercial services (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2009). Major industrial activity concerns intensive agriculture, food processing, chemicals and petroleum refinery and electronic machinery (European Commission, 2009).”

Source: Kroneman M, Boerma W, van den Berg M, Groenewegen P, de Jong J, van Ginneken E (2016). The Netherlands: health system review. Health Systems in Transition, 2016; 18(2):1–239.

“The Netherlands ranks third in the European Union in terms of GDP per capita with €48,900, well above the EU average (€37,600). It accounts for 6.3% of the EU’s total GDP.”

Source: European Union. EU Countries: Netherlands. European Union. Last accessed February 27, 2025.

Netherlands: Economic System - Healthcare - National Policies - World Health Systems Facts

World Health Systems Facts is a project of the Real Reporting Foundation. We provide reliable statistics and other data from authoritative sources regarding health systems and policies in the US and sixteen other nations.

Page last updated August 8, 2025 by Doug McVay, Editor.