Overview: The economy is highly developed and based on private enterprise. The government makes its presence felt, however, through the many regulations and permit requirements affecting most aspects of economic activity. The country maintains a high standard of living with a GNP per capita in excess of $15,000. The trade and financial services sector contributes over 50% of GNP. Industrial activity, including construction, provides about 25% of GNP, and is led by the food-processing, oil-refining, and metal-working industries. The highly mechanized agricultural sector employs only 6% of the labor force, but provides large surpluses for export and the domestic food-processing industry. An unemployment rate of over 11% and a high government budget deficit are currently the most serious economic problems.

GNP: $223.3 billion, per capita $15,170; real growth rate 4.0% (1988)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.0% (1988)

Unemployment rate: 11.1% (1988)

Budget: revenues $78.6 billion; expenditures $91.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $8.7 billion (1988)

Exports: $92.4 billion (f.o.b., 1987); @m5commodities--agricultural products, processed foods and tobacco, natural gas, chemicals, metal products, textiles, clothing; @m5partners--EC 74.9% (FRG 28.3%, Belgium-Luxembourg 14.2%, France 10.7%, UK 10.2%), US 4.7%

Imports: $91.3 billion (c.i.f., 1987); @m5commodities--raw materials and semifinished products, consumer goods, transportation equipment, crude oil, food products; @m5partners--EC 63.8% (FRG 26.5%, Belgium-Luxembourg 23.1%, UK 8.1%), US 7.9%

External debt: none

Industrial production: growth rate 2.9% (1988)

Electricity: 21,931,000 kW capacity; 63,409 million kWh produced, 4,310 kWh per capita (1988)

Industries: agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, fishing, construction, microelectronics

Agriculture: animal husbandry predominates; horticultural crops, grains, potatoes, sugar beets; food shortages--grains, fats, oils

Aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-86), $14.0 billion

Currency: Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (plural--guilders, gulden, or florins); 1 Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (f.) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Netherlands guilders, gulden, or florins (f.) per US$1--2.0666 (January 1989), 1.9766 (1988), 2.0257 (1987), 2.4500 (1986), 3.3214 (1985)

Fiscal year: calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Netherlands on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Netherlands Economy 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Netherlands Economy 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.