Netherlands
Europe · Western Europe
Highly international with near-universal English and an excellent cycling culture; housing is expensive.
At a Glance
📈Netherlands's Human Development Index
0.946
Very High human development#10 of 191 countries worldwide, #8 of 44 in Europe.
Higher than 95% of countries with data. UNDP Human Development Report.
UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita.
Closest indicators in this dataset
World Bank, own vintages. UNDP’s own component values are not carried here, so these are related measures rather than the index inputs.
Nearest countries by HDI
Full HDI ranking, all 191 countries →Netherlands
The Netherlands is a small, flat, densely populated country in Western Europe that has made an art of living well within constraints, with beautiful canal cities, world-class museums, a cycling culture that shapes urban life at every level, and a tradition of tolerance and pragmatic thinking. Amsterdam is one of Europe's great cities, but Utrecht, Leiden, and Haarlem offer much of the same beauty with far less pressure. Those who enjoy design, cycling, and a liberal, open-minded culture will find it very much to their taste.
- Tallest average population in the world.
- More bicycles than people — and more bicycles than cars.
- Rotterdam handles more cargo than any other European port.
Quick Facts
Capital
Amsterdam
Language
Dutch
Currency
€ EUR
Area
33,670 km²
Nomad Hub
Fixed Broadband
239Mbps
Mobile
177Mbps
GDP / Capita
$74K
PPP / Capita
$87K
Inflation
3.3%
Unemployment
3.9%
Innovation (GII)
57.0
GNI / Capita
$69K
Tax Revenue
25.3%
FDI Inflows
-1.4%
Education Spend
5.2%
Cost of Living
73.4
Price Level Index
12th pct
20-Year Trend + IMF Forecast
Income & inflation over time
HDI since 1990
0.847 → 0.946 (+0.099)Year by year →UNDP Human Development Report, 2023-24 edition. 33 annual values, none interpolated; hover any point for its year.
Twenty years here
Year by year →The world report →World Bank observations, first to last available year per indicator (roughly 2005–2024; each series has its own window).
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Netherlands head-to-head
💬Quick answers
What is Netherlands's Human Development Index?
Netherlands's Human Development Index is 0.946 (UNDP Human Development Report), ranked #10 of 191 countries.
Is Netherlands safe?
Netherlands scores 1.57 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #17 of 160 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.
How expensive is Netherlands?
Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts Netherlands at 73.4 (New York = 100); that is #133 cheapest of 143 countries with data.
What is life expectancy in Netherlands?
Life expectancy at birth in Netherlands is 82.0 yrs (World Bank), ranked #30 of 195 countries.
What is the quality of life in Netherlands?
Numbeo's quality-of-life index scores Netherlands at 213.6, ranked #1 of 87 countries with data. It composites purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, commute and pollution from resident surveys, so it reflects what residents report rather than what an economy produces.