Public budgets

Netherlands: public budget

What Netherlands's government raised and what it spent it on, from the figures its own budget laws or a statistics office publish. Solon places every figure on the same international classification, so it can be compared with any other place.

General government, 2012

Outturn: what came in and was spent

General government: central, state and local government and social security funds together, consolidated so that money passed between them is counted once, as Eurostat's government finance statistics (ESA 2010) count it.

Amounts in USD, converted from EUR at 2012's average rate (Eurostat).

Revenue
$370.49B · 43.8% of GDP
Spending
$402.91B · 47.6% of GDP
Surplus (+) or deficit (−)
-$32.41B · -3.8% of GDP

What the money is spent on

Netherlands, 2012: spending by function, as a share of all spending
Netherlands, 2012: spending by function, as a share of all spending
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social protection36.4$146.52B
Health16.9$68.17B
Education11.5$46.31B
Economic affairs10.8$43.45B
General public services10.8$43.43B
Public order and safety4$16.05B
Environmental protection3.2$12.89B
Recreation, culture and religion2.9$11.51B
Defence2.4$9.66B
Housing and community amenities1.2$4.94B
Social protection$146.52B
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Old age37.9$55.59B
Sickness and disability29.3$42.98B
Social exclusion n.e.c.12.3$17.97B
Family and children10$14.69B
Unemployment7.3$10.68B
Housing2.1$3.02B
Survivors0.9$1.28B
Social protection n.e.c.0.1$167.02M
R&D Social protection0.1$125.91M
Health$68.17B
Health, in detail, as a share of it
Health, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Hospital services48.3$32.94B
Outpatient services29.6$20.15B
Medical products, appliances and equipment12.3$8.39B
R&D Health3.8$2.59B
Health n.e.c.3.6$2.43B
Public health services2.4$1.66B
Education$46.31B
Education, in detail, as a share of it
Education, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Secondary education38.1$17.67B
Pre-primary and primary education31.2$14.44B
Tertiary education24.1$11.14B
Subsidiary services to education4.8$2.22B
Education not definable by level1.1$497.22M
R&D Education0.4$186.3M
Education n.e.c.0.3$154.18M
Post-secondary non-tertiary education0$0
Economic affairs$43.45B
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Transport50$21.72B
Fuel and energy16.3$7.06B
General economic, commercial and labour affairs11.5$5.01B
R&D Economic affairs9.2$3.99B
Other industries6.8$2.94B
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting3.4$1.47B
Mining, manufacturing and construction2.2$963.6M
Economic affairs n.e.c.0.4$183.73M
Communication0.3$113.06M
General public services$43.43B
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Public debt transactions36.3$15.74B
Executive and legislative organs, financial and fiscal affairs, external affairs34.9$15.13B
Foreign economic aid10.5$4.55B
Basic research9.9$4.29B
General services8.2$3.57B
R&D General public services0.2$74.52M
General public services n.e.c.0.2$70.66M
Transfers of a general character between different levels of government0$0
Public order and safety$16.05B
Public order and safety, in detail, as a share of it
Public order and safety, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Police services42.5$6.81B
Prisons20.7$3.32B
Law courts15.7$2.52B
Fire-protection services12$1.92B
Public order and safety n.e.c.8.5$1.37B
R&D Public order and safety0.6$98.93M
Environmental protection$12.89B
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Waste management38.7$4.99B
Waste water management34.7$4.48B
Pollution abatement15.9$2.05B
Protection of biodiversity and landscape7.8$1B
Environmental protection n.e.c.1.7$215.85M
R&D Environmental protection1.1$141.33M
Recreation, culture and religion$11.51B
Recreation, culture and religion, in detail, as a share of it
Recreation, culture and religion, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Recreational and sporting services39.6$4.55B
Cultural services34.9$4.02B
Broadcasting and publishing services14.4$1.66B
Religious and other community services5.4$621.84M
Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c.3.9$449.68M
R&D Recreation, culture and religion1.8$204.28M
Defence$9.66B
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Military defence82.7$7.98B
Defence n.e.c.12.9$1.25B
Foreign military aid3.2$313.49M
R&D Defence1.2$114.35M
Civil defence0$0
Housing and community amenities$4.94B
Housing and community amenities, in detail, as a share of it
Housing and community amenities, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Housing development55.1$2.72B
Community development30.9$1.53B
R&D Housing and community amenities5$245.4M
Housing and community amenities n.e.c.3.7$183.73M
Street lighting2.8$136.19M
Water supply2.6$125.91M

Where the money comes from

Netherlands, 2012: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
Netherlands, 2012: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social contributions33.5$124.17B
Taxes on sales, production and imports24.7$91.6B
Taxes on income and wealth24.2$89.83B
Sales, fees and charges11$40.62B
Income from property (interest, dividends, rent)4.7$17.37B
Other transfers received1.2$4.29B
Capital transfers and taxes received0.6$2.28B
Subsidies received0.1$331.48M
Taxes on sales, production and imports$91.6B
Taxes on sales, production and imports, in detail, as a share of it
Taxes on sales, production and imports, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Value added tax58.6$53.68B
Not broken down, or fitting no category41.4$37.92B

Over the years

46.1 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99546.2 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99644.9 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99744.1 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99844.6 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99944.3 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00043.6 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00142.6 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00242.6 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00342.9 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00442.9 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00544 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00643.1 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00744.2 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00843.3 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00943.6 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01043.4 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01143.8 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01244.6 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01344.5 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01443.5 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01544.1 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01644.2 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01743.9 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01844 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01944.1 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02043.6 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02143.3 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02243.7 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02343.6 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02443.6 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02554.8 % of GDPSpending · 1,99548.1 % of GDPSpending · 1,99646.5 % of GDPSpending · 1,99745.4 % of GDPSpending · 1,99844.3 % of GDPSpending · 1,99943.2 % of GDPSpending · 2,00044.1 % of GDPSpending · 2,00144.8 % of GDPSpending · 2,00245.8 % of GDPSpending · 2,00344.7 % of GDPSpending · 2,00443.4 % of GDPSpending · 2,00544 % of GDPSpending · 2,00643.3 % of GDPSpending · 2,00744.3 % of GDPSpending · 2,00848.4 % of GDPSpending · 2,00948.9 % of GDPSpending · 2,01047.8 % of GDPSpending · 2,01147.6 % of GDPSpending · 2,01247.5 % of GDPSpending · 2,01346.7 % of GDPSpending · 2,01445.3 % of GDPSpending · 2,01543.9 % of GDPSpending · 2,01642.8 % of GDPSpending · 2,01742.4 % of GDPSpending · 2,01842.1 % of GDPSpending · 2,01947.8 % of GDPSpending · 2,02045.9 % of GDPSpending · 2,02143.3 % of GDPSpending · 2,02244 % of GDPSpending · 2,02344.4 % of GDPSpending · 2,024
Netherlands: revenue and spending, 1995–2025
Netherlands: revenue and spending, 1995–2025
PeriodRevenue (% of GDP)Spending (% of GDP)
1,99546.154.8
1,99646.248.1
1,99744.946.5
1,99844.145.4
1,99944.644.3
2,00044.343.2
2,00143.644.1
2,00242.644.8
2,00342.645.8
2,00442.944.7
2,00542.943.4
2,0064444
2,00743.143.3
2,00844.244.3
2,00943.348.4
2,01043.648.9
2,01143.447.8
2,01243.847.6
2,01344.647.5
2,01444.546.7
2,01543.545.3
2,01644.143.9
2,01744.242.8
2,01843.942.4
2,0194442.1
2,02044.147.8
2,02143.645.9
2,02243.343.3
2,02343.744
2,02443.644.4
2,02543.6
Where these figures come from

Series read from Eurostat, government finance statistics (gov_10a_main, gov_10a_exp) on 2026-11-11.

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