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, 2018

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 2018's average rate (Eurostat).

Revenue
$408.43B · 43.9% of GDP
Spending
$394.62B · 42.4% of GDP
Surplus (+) or deficit (−)
$13.81B · 1.5% of GDP

What the money is spent on

Netherlands, 2018: spending by function, as a share of all spending
Netherlands, 2018: spending by function, as a share of all spending
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social protection38.1$150.5B
Health17$67.18B
Education11.7$46.23B
Economic affairs9.9$38.94B
General public services9.3$36.88B
Public order and safety4.2$16.67B
Environmental protection3.2$12.62B
Recreation, culture and religion2.9$11.3B
Defence2.6$10.23B
Housing and community amenities1$4.09B
Social protection$150.5B
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Old age37.9$57.09B
Sickness and disability26.1$39.31B
Social exclusion n.e.c.14.5$21.84B
Family and children12$18.12B
Unemployment6.2$9.33B
Housing2.8$4.15B
Survivors0.4$531.45M
R&D Social protection0.1$106.29M
Social protection n.e.c.0$38.97M
Health$67.18B
Health, in detail, as a share of it
Health, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Hospital services47$31.56B
Outpatient services31.7$21.31B
Medical products, appliances and equipment10.1$6.79B
R&D Health4.9$3.27B
Health n.e.c.3.6$2.4B
Public health services2.7$1.85B
Education$46.23B
Education, in detail, as a share of it
Education, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Secondary education40.5$18.72B
Pre-primary and primary education30.3$14.01B
Tertiary education24.4$11.29B
Subsidiary services to education4.2$1.93B
R&D Education0.4$175.97M
Education not definable by level0.1$59.05M
Education n.e.c.0.1$35.43M
Post-secondary non-tertiary education0$0
Economic affairs$38.94B
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Transport49.5$19.27B
Fuel and energy17.6$6.84B
R&D Economic affairs11.2$4.35B
General economic, commercial and labour affairs10.1$3.92B
Other industries7.6$2.97B
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting2.8$1.1B
Mining, manufacturing and construction0.8$309.42M
Communication0.3$113.38M
Economic affairs n.e.c.0.2$61.41M
General public services$36.88B
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 affairs39.7$14.66B
Public debt transactions25.5$9.41B
Basic research12.4$4.57B
Foreign economic aid12.1$4.46B
General services10$3.68B
General public services n.e.c.0.2$62.59M
R&D General public services0.1$31.89M
Transfers of a general character between different levels of government0$0
Public order and safety$16.67B
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 services46.8$7.81B
Prisons16.8$2.79B
Law courts15.2$2.53B
Fire-protection services10.4$1.73B
Public order and safety n.e.c.9.6$1.59B
R&D Public order and safety1.3$212.58M
Environmental protection$12.62B
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Waste management46.3$5.84B
Waste water management25.7$3.24B
Pollution abatement15.7$1.98B
Protection of biodiversity and landscape9.3$1.18B
R&D Environmental protection1.5$185.42M
Environmental protection n.e.c.1.5$185.42M
Recreation, culture and religion$11.3B
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 services39.9$4.51B
Cultural services39$4.41B
Broadcasting and publishing services13.2$1.49B
Religious and other community services5.3$594.04M
R&D Recreation, culture and religion2.6$289.35M
Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c.0$0
Defence$10.23B
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Military defence88.6$9.07B
Defence n.e.c.6.4$651.91M
Foreign military aid4$408.63M
R&D Defence1$103.93M
Civil defence0$0
Housing and community amenities$4.09B
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 development51.9$2.13B
Community development31.5$1.29B
R&D Housing and community amenities6.7$275.17M
Street lighting4.5$183.06M
Water supply3.6$147.63M
Housing and community amenities n.e.c.1.8$74.4M

Where the money comes from

Netherlands, 2018: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
Netherlands, 2018: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social contributions33.4$136.5B
Taxes on income and wealth27.9$113.85B
Taxes on sales, production and imports26.9$110B
Sales, fees and charges8.1$33.01B
Income from property (interest, dividends, rent)2$7.98B
Other transfers received1.1$4.32B
Capital transfers and taxes received0.7$2.66B
Subsidies received0$109.83M
Taxes on sales, production and imports$110B
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 tax56.5$62.18B
Not broken down, or fitting no category43.5$47.83B

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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