Netherlands
Government finance and cost-of-living data from Eurostat — spending, debt, tax, and comparative prices.
Headline stats
Debt peaked at 73.2% GDP in 1995 — now 44.4%.
Government debt
44.4% GDP
2025
EU27 avg: 81.7% GDP (2025)
Govt expenditure
44.4% GDP
2024
Budget deficit
1.6% GDP
2025
EU27 avg: 3.1% GDP (2025)
Tax revenue
11.2% GDP
2024
Public sector jobs
3,007k
2025
Tax rates
What Netherlands takes — statutory rates and effective burden on workers.
Labour tax wedge
32.7% of labour cost
2025
Top income tax rate
50%
2024
Corporate tax rate
25.8%
2024
Standard VAT rate
21%
2024
Labour tax wedge: effective % of gross labour cost (salary + employer contributions) going to income tax and social contributions for a single person at average wage. Source: Eurostat earn_nt_taxrate. Statutory rates: OECD Taxing Wages 2024 / EC Taxation Trends 2024.
Comparative prices
Netherlands is 17.2% more expensive than the EU average overall (2024). Index: EU27 = 100.
| Category | Price index | vs EU avg |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level | 117.2 | +17.2% |
| Food & non-alcoholic drinks | 98.9 | -1.1% |
| Housing, utilities & energy | 129.8 | +29.8% |
| Restaurants & hotels | 124.6 | +24.6% |
| Transport | 112.9 | +12.9% |
| Health | 139.8 | +39.8% |
| Education | 150.3 | +50.3% |
| Clothing & footwear | 93.0 | -7.0% |
| Recreation & culture | 112.4 | +12.4% |
| Alcohol & tobacco | 126.9 | +26.9% |
| Household furnishings | 101.1 | +1.1% |
| Communication | 134.2 | +34.2% |
| Miscellaneous | 119.7 | +19.7% |
Source: Eurostat prc_ppp_ind. EU27_2020 = 100. Green = cheaper than EU average.
Government debt since 2011
| Year | Debt (% GDP) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 61.2 | — |
| 2012 | 65.7 | +4.5 |
| 2013 | 67.2 | +1.5 |
| 2014 | 67.2 | 0 |
| 2015 | 63.8 | -3.4 |
| 2016 | 60.9 | -2.9 |
| 2017 | 56 | -4.9 |
| 2018 | 51.6 | -4.4 |
| 2019 | 47.7 | -3.9 |
| 2020 | 53.4 | +5.7 |
| 2021 | 50.5 | -2.9 |
| 2022 | 48.4 | -2.1 |
| 2023 | 45.8 | -2.6 |
| 2024 | 43.8 | -2 |
| 2025 | 44.4 | +0.6 |
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Data sources
| Dataset | Source | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Govt expenditure / debt / deficit | Eurostat gov_10dd_edpt1 | 1995–2025 |
| Tax revenue | Eurostat gov_10a_taxag | 1995–2025 |
| Public employment (NACE O-Q) | Eurostat nama_10_a64_e | 1995–2024 |
| Tax breakdown (VAT, income, social) | Eurostat gov_10a_taxag | 2000–2023 |
| Labour tax wedge | Eurostat earn_nt_taxrate | 2000–2023 |
| Statutory tax rates (income, corporate, VAT) | OECD / EC Taxation Trends 2024 | 2024 |
| Comparative price levels (13 categories) | Eurostat prc_ppp_ind | 1995–2024 |