NETHERLANDS
Sustaining growth in a rapidly changing global landscape
The Hague
9 July 2025
The Dutch economy has outperformed European peers
A rapidly changing global landscape creates challenges
Global trade policy uncertainty
Note: Value 100 corresponds to a one percent share of articles discussing trade policy uncertainty in the total number of news articles; see Caldara et al. (2020). Source: Downloaded from Trade Policy Uncertainty webpage https://www.matteoiacoviello.com/tpu.htm on 12 June 2025.
Boosting productivity is key
Labour productivity growth
Annual average % change, 2010-2023
Note: Labour productivity refers to GDP per hour worked.
Source: OECD Productivity (database).
Economic growth will be moderate
Source: OECD Economic Outlook: Statistics and Projections (database).
Preserving strong public finances
Past budgetary discipline underpins
Continued
Fiscal balance
Note: Fiscal projections for 2025-2029 incorporate measures as of the Spring Memorandum (Voorjaarsnota) 2025; hatched bars indicate projections by the CPB.
Source: OECD Economic Outlook: Statistics and Projections (database); and Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB).
Remaining competitive in a changing global trade landscape
Dutch supply chains are relatively well diversified
Note: This measure is obtained by first calculating for each product classified at the 6-digit level of the Harmonized System code and for each importing country a concentration index (HHI) across all exporters to that country. Second, the number of products with an HHI equal to or greater than 0.4 is determined as a proportion of all products.
Source: OECD calculations based on the database for the Analysis of International Trade (BACI 2025 edition) provided by the Centre d’Études Prospectives et d’Informations
Increasing digital adoption can boost productivity
Businesses using selected technologies, by size class % of firms, 2024 or latest available year
Note: Firms with at least 10 employees. Small firms are those having 10-49 employees, and large firms 250 employees or more. OECD refers to the simple average of OECD countries with available data per technology. “ICT” refers to information and communication technology. Source: OECD ICT
A stronger lifelong learning culture is needed to
Workers reporting to be under-skilled for their job
% of employed adults aged 25-65 who are not self-employed, 2023
Note: Data is self-reported as part of the OECD Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). A worker is classified as under-skilled if their skills are lower than those required by their job and need to be further developed.
Source: OECD (2024), Do Adults Have the Skills They
Streamlining insolvency procedures can revive business dynamism and foster competition
Note: EU refers to the average of OECD EU countries. A birth (death) amounts to the creation (dissolution) of a combination of production factors with the restriction that no other enterprises are involved in the event. Births (deaths) do not include entries (exits) into (from) the population due to mergers, break-ups, split-off or restructuring of a set of enterprises. They do not include entries (exits) into a subpopulation resulting only from a change of activity. A birth occurs when an enterprise starts from scratch and actually starts activity. An enterprise creation can be considered an enterprise birth if new production factors, in particular new jobs, are created. If a dormant unit is reactivated within two years, this event is not considered a birth. An enterprise is included in the count of deaths only if it is not reactivated within two years. Source: Eurostat (database).
Support for research and development should be maintained as part of the industrial strategy
Government support for business expenditure on research and development % of GDP, 2023 or latest available year
Source: OECD Research and Development Tax Incentives (database).
Towards affordable housing
Note: “Euro Area” refers to OECD Euro area countries.
Source: OECD Analytical House Price Indicators (database).
Shifting policies from supporting home ownership to increasing housing supply would improve affordability
Public spending on support for home buyers and homeowners
% of GDP, 2022 or latest
Note: Public spending on support for home buyers and homeowners includes tax relief (for example on property transfer tax, stamp duty and mortgage interest), subsidised mortgages and mortgage guarantees for homebuyers, and grants to homebuyers.
Source: OECD Affordable Housing Database.
Strengthening climate policies
Note: Greenhouse gas emissions exclude those from land use, land-use change and forestry; “European Union” refers to the average of all EU countries.
Source: OECD Environmental Statistics (database).
Note: “European Union” refers to the average of OECD EU countries.
Source: International Renewable Energy Agency.
Note: “European Union” refers to the average of all EU countries.
Main messages
FISCAL TRADE
Maintain fiscal prudence and productivity-enhancing public investments, while reducing tax expenditures and reforming the tax-benefit system.
Enhance supply chain resilience, expand digitalisation, and foster a more dynamic business environment to preserve trade competitiveness.
Shift policies away from supporting home ownership and towards increasing housing supply to improve affordability.
Address electricity grid congestion and develop a long-term strategy with clear objectives and timelines to achieve 2030 targets and reach net-zero by 2050.
For more information
Disclaimers:
The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of international law. This document and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.