Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Netherlands: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MBA, ranked #26 of 195).
Netherlands is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany. The country's capital is Amsterdam; it covers 41,543 sq km. Independence: 26 July 1581. Terrain: mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast. Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters. Population: 17.8 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +0.30% per year. Median age: 42.2 years. Life expectancy: 81.9 years (2024 est.). Languages: Dutch (official), Frisian (official in Fryslan province) Religions: Roman Catholic 20.1%, Protestant 14.8% (includes Dutch Reformed, Protestant…
| Capital | Amsterdam |
|---|---|
| Population | 17,833,885 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $1.276 trillion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $70,900 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 1% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 3.3% |
| Unemployment | 3.6% |
| Public debt | 56.5% of GDP (2017 est.) |
| Exports | $1.032 trillion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $884.154 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 81.9 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 42.2 |
| Urbanization | 93.2% of total population (2023) |
| Government | parliamentary constitutional monarchy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Independence | 26 July 1581 |
| Languages | Dutch (official), Frisian (official in Fryslan province) |
MBA · 66/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The minority government held together through a fragmented parliament — an achievement in itself — and marked its UNGA debut with an outward-facing posture.
Modest growth, tight labour markets, no shocks: the Dutch quarter was competent and unremarkable, exactly as scored.
Natural gas, Oil, Salt.
Rob Jetten — Prime Minister. King WILLEM-ALEXANDER (since 30 April 2013)
Netherlands maintains 106 embassies and 28 consulates abroad, hosts 107 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, UN Geneva, EU Brussels, NATO Brussels, OECD Paris, UNESCO Paris, OSCE Vienna, CoE Strasbourg. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 106 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 28 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 107 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, UN Geneva, EU Brussels, NATO Brussels, OECD Paris, UNESCO Paris, OSCE Vienna, CoE Strasbourg |
Source: Abroad: Lowy GDI 2024 via Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_diplomatic_missions . Hosted: Consular Affairs Center in-country ranking, Mar 2026 (The Hague 107). Multilateral rosters as for AUT.
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 451 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 44 + 194 heliports (registration prefix PH) |
| Major seaports | Amsterdam, Dordrecht, Europoort, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Vlissingen |
| Railways | 3055 km |
| Pipelines | 14,000 km gas, 2,500 km oil and refined products, 3,000 km chemicals (2017) |
| Top container ports (TEU) | Rotterdam (15,300,000 TEU, 2021) |
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) — Amsterdam; Eindhoven Airport (EIN) — Eindhoven; Groningen Airport Eelde (GRQ) — Groningen; Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST) — Maastricht; Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM) — Rotterdam.
| LNG import terminals | Gate (Rotterdam) |
|---|---|
| River ports | Amsterdam (Nordsee Kanaal); Moerdijk (Hollands Diep River); Rotterdam (Rhine River); Terneuzen (Western Scheldt River) |
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
|---|---|
| Last election | 2025 — parliamentary (snap); 2025-10-29; winner: Rob Jetten (Democrats 66 (D66)); Snap election after Schoof cabinet collapsed when PVV left the coalition; all mainstream parties ruled out governing with Wilders Reuters |
| Next election | 2029 — general (scheduled) |
Source: constitutional schedule / public election calendar
MBA · 66 Ranked #26 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Netherlands.
Historical timeline of Netherlands
