Overview: This highly developed and affluent economy is based on private enterprise. The government makes its presence felt, however, through many regulations, permit requirements, and welfare programs affecting most aspects of economic activity. The trade and financial services sector contributes over 50% of GDP. Industrial activity provides about 25% of GDP and is led by the food-processing, oil-refining, and metalworking industries. The highly mechanized agricultural sector employs only 5% of the labor force, but provides large surpluses for export and the domestic food-processing industry. Rising unemployment and a sizable budget deficit are currently the most serious economic problems. Many of the economic issues of the 1990s will reflect the course of European economic integration.

National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $262.8 billion (1993)

National product real growth rate: -0.2% (1993)

National product per capita: $17,200 (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.5% (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate: 9.1% (March 1994)

Budget:
revenues: $109.9 billion
expenditures: $122.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)

Exports: $139 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities: metal products, chemicals, processed food and tobacco, agricultural products
partners: EC 77% (Germany 27%, Belgium-Luxembourg 15%, UK 10%), US 4% (1991)

Imports: $130.3 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities: raw materials and semifinished products, consumer goods, transportation equipment, crude oil, food products
partners: EC 64% (Germany 26%, Belgium-Luxembourg 14%, UK 8%), US 8% (1991)

External debt: $0

Industrial production: growth rate -1.5% (1993 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP

Electricity:
capacity: 22,216,000 kW
production: 63.5 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 4,200 kWh (1992)

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

Agriculture: accounts for 4.6% of GDP; animal production predominates; crops - grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; shortages of grain, fats, and oils

Illicit drugs: gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; European producer of illicit amphetamines and other synthetic drugs

Economic aid:
donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $19.4 billion

Currency: 1 Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (f.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Netherlands guilders, gulden, or florins (f.) per US$1 - 1.9508 (January 1994), 1.8573 (1993), 1.7585 (1992), 1.8697 (1991), 1.8209 (1990), 2.1207 (1989)

Fiscal year: calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Netherlands on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Netherlands Economy 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Netherlands Economy 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.