| Economy - overview: |
The Netherlands has a prosperous and open economy, which depends heavily on foreign trade. The economy is noted for stable industrial relations, moderate unemployment and inflation, a sizable current account surplus, and an important role as a European transportation hub. Industrial activity is predominantly in food processing, chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery. A highly mechanized agricultural sector employs no more than 2% of the labor force but provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry and for exports. The Netherlands, along with 11 of its EU partners, began circulating the euro currency on 1 January 2002. The country continues to be one of the leading European nations for attracting foreign direct investment. Economic growth slowed considerably in 2001-06, as part of the global economic slowdown, but for the four years before that, annual growth averaged nearly 4%, well above the EU average. |
| GDP - real growth rate: |
2.9% (2006 est.) |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): |
$529.1 billion (2006 est.) |
| GDP (official exchange rate): |
$612.7 billion (2006 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$32,100 (2006 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 2.1%
industry: 23.9%
services: 73.9% (2006 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: |
10.5% (1999) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 22.9% (1999) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
1.4% (2006 est.) |
| Labor force: |
7.6 million (2006 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture: 2%
industry: 19%
services: 79% (2004 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: |
5.5% (2006 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $304.3 billion
expenditures: $306.5 billion; including capital expenditures of NA (2006 est.) |
| Industries: |
agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing |
| Industrial production growth rate: |
2.3% (2006 est.) |
| Electricity - production: |
92.7 billion kWh (2004) |
| Electricity - consumption: |
102.4 billion kWh (2004) |
| Electricity - exports: |
5.2 billion kWh (2004) |
| Electricity - imports: |
21.4 billion kWh (2004) |
| Oil - production: |
95,800 bbl/day (2004) |
| Oil - consumption: |
946,700 bbl/day (2004 est.) |
| Oil - exports: |
1.546 million bbl/day (2004) |
| Oil - imports: |
2.465 million bbl/day (2004) |
| Oil - proved reserves: |
106 million bbl (1 January 2005) |
| Natural gas - production: |
85.98 billion cu m (2004 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: |
53.56 billion cu m (2004 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: |
18.85 billion cu m (2004 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: |
grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock |
| Exports: |
$413.8 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: |
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs |
| Exports - partners: |
Germany 25.5%, Belgium 14%, UK 8.9%, France 8.6%, Italy 5.1%, US 4.4% (2006) |
| Imports: |
$373.8 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: |
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, clothing |
| Imports - partners: |
Germany 17.1%, Belgium 9.5%, China 9.4%, US 7.8%, UK 5.9%, Russia 5.1%, France 4.6% (2006) |
| Debt - external: |
$1.899 trillion (30 June 2006) |
| Currency: |
Euro (EUR)
Current Euro Exchange Rates
Historical Euro Exchange Rates
Chart Euro Exchange Rates |
| Currency code: |
EUR |
| Exchange rates: |
euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002) |
| Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
