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, 2017

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 2017's average rate (Eurostat).

Revenue
$374.14B · 44.2% of GDP
Spending
$362.7B · 42.8% of GDP
Surplus (+) or deficit (−)
$11.59B · 1.4% of GDP

What the money is spent on

Netherlands, 2017: spending by function, as a share of all spending
Netherlands, 2017: spending by function, as a share of all spending
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social protection38.7$140.45B
Health16.8$60.78B
Education11.8$42.75B
Economic affairs9.8$35.46B
General public services9.5$34.38B
Public order and safety4.1$14.86B
Environmental protection3.1$11.35B
Recreation, culture and religion2.8$10.13B
Defence2.6$9.31B
Housing and community amenities0.9$3.23B
Social protection$140.45B
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Old age37.7$53.02B
Sickness and disability25.9$36.34B
Social exclusion n.e.c.14.4$20.21B
Family and children11.6$16.26B
Unemployment7.1$10.04B
Housing2.8$3.89B
Survivors0.4$529.83M
R&D Social protection0.1$120.88M
Social protection n.e.c.0$48.58M
Health$60.78B
Health, in detail, as a share of it
Health, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Hospital services47.3$28.72B
Outpatient services31.2$18.95B
Medical products, appliances and equipment10.3$6.24B
R&D Health4.5$2.75B
Health n.e.c.3.9$2.36B
Public health services2.9$1.76B
Education$42.75B
Education, in detail, as a share of it
Education, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Secondary education40.8$17.45B
Pre-primary and primary education30$12.83B
Tertiary education24.4$10.45B
Subsidiary services to education4.2$1.8B
R&D Education0.4$154.77M
Education not definable by level0.1$42.93M
Education n.e.c.0.1$37.28M
Post-secondary non-tertiary education0$0
Economic affairs$35.46B
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Transport50.7$17.98B
Fuel and energy15.9$5.62B
R&D Economic affairs11.8$4.2B
General economic, commercial and labour affairs10$3.54B
Other industries7.5$2.67B
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting3$1.05B
Mining, manufacturing and construction0.7$232.72M
Communication0.3$105.06M
Economic affairs n.e.c.0.2$56.49M
General public services$34.38B
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Executive and legislative organs, financial and fiscal affairs, external affairs35.6$12.23B
Public debt transactions28.4$9.76B
Foreign economic aid13.1$4.52B
Basic research12.1$4.14B
General services10.6$3.64B
General public services n.e.c.0.2$61M
R&D General public services0.1$32.76M
Transfers of a general character between different levels of government0$0
Public order and safety$14.86B
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 services46$6.84B
Prisons16.8$2.5B
Law courts15.4$2.28B
Fire-protection services11.1$1.65B
Public order and safety n.e.c.9.6$1.42B
R&D Public order and safety1.1$166.07M
Environmental protection$11.35B
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Waste management46.4$5.26B
Waste water management26.4$2.99B
Pollution abatement16.2$1.84B
Protection of biodiversity and landscape8.2$934.26M
Environmental protection n.e.c.1.6$178.49M
R&D Environmental protection1.2$140.08M
Recreation, culture and religion$10.13B
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 services40.2$4.07B
Cultural services37.4$3.79B
Broadcasting and publishing services14.8$1.5B
Religious and other community services5.5$554.68M
R&D Recreation, culture and religion2.1$211.25M
Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c.0$1.13M
Defence$9.31B
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Military defence88.3$8.22B
Defence n.e.c.6.9$645.06M
Foreign military aid3.7$344.56M
R&D Defence1.1$103.93M
Civil defence0$0
Housing and community amenities$3.23B
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 development45.7$1.48B
Community development34.4$1.11B
R&D Housing and community amenities7.5$242.89M
Street lighting5.2$168.33M
Water supply4.1$133.3M
Housing and community amenities n.e.c.3$98.28M

Where the money comes from

Netherlands, 2017: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
Netherlands, 2017: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social contributions32.9$122.99B
Taxes on income and wealth28.4$106.08B
Taxes on sales, production and imports26.5$99.22B
Sales, fees and charges8.3$31.12B
Income from property (interest, dividends, rent)2$7.5B
Other transfers received1.2$4.34B
Capital transfers and taxes received0.7$2.79B
Subsidies received0$107.32M
Taxes on sales, production and imports$99.22B
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 tax56.7$56.25B
Not broken down, or fitting no category43.3$42.97B

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.

Change it

Think this money should be raised or spent differently? Draft it as a proposal: a proposal is evidence of support, handed to whoever decides, never law.

Propose a change to this budgetCompare one function across countries →