Key figures by sector; NA, 1995-2017

Table explanation

Description topics

Total domestic sectors

The domestic sectors consist of non-financial corporations, financial corporations, general government, households and non-profit institutions (NPI) serving households. The breakdown into institutional sectors is based on international rules.

Gross domestic product

Gross domestic product (GDP) is a quantity that expresses the size of an economy. The volume change of GDP during a reference period expresses the growth or shrinkage of the economy. Gross domestic product at market prices is the final result of the production activity of resident producer units. It can be defined in three ways:

- production approach: GDP is the sum of gross value added of the various institutional sectors or the various industries plus taxes and less subsidies on products (which are not allocated to sectors and industries). It is also the balancing item in the total economy production account;
- expenditure approach: GDP is the sum of final uses of goods and services by resident institutional units (final consumption and gross capital formation), plus exports and minus imports of goods and services;
- income approach: GDP is the sum of uses in the total economy generation of income account (compensation of employees, taxes on production and imports less subsidies, gross operating surplus and mixed income of the total economy).

Net domestic product at market prices (NDP) can be obtained by deducting consumption of fixed capital from GDP.

Consumption of fixed capital

The decline in value of fixed assets owned, as a result of normal wear and tear and obsolescence.

For the estimation of the consumption of fixed capital the perpetual inventory method (PIM) is applied. The capital stock at the beginning of the year is brought to replacement value because of price changes. The fixed capital formation during the year is added to this capital stock. Next it is diminished with the value of capital goods discarded. This gives to value of capital stock at the end of the year. The consumption of fixed obtained by applying a depreciation percentage.
This method may differ considerably from the method used to calculate depreciation in business accounts, which is based on historical costs or fiscal life span.

Gross operating surplus and mixed income

The surplus that remains after compensation of employees and taxes less subsidies on production and imports have been subtracted from the sum of value added at basic prices. For the self-employed (who are part of the sector households) the surplus is called mixed income, it is partly a reward for their entrepreneurship compensation for their labour.

In the system of national accounts 'gross' means that consumption of fixed capital (depreciation) has not been subtracted. When it has, 'net' is used. Depreciation must be paid for from the gross operating surplus.

Gross national income

Total primary income received by resident institutional units: compensation of employees, net operating surplus / mixed income, net property income and net taxes on production and imports less subsidies. Incomes flowing from one domestic sector to another have no effect on net national income. Gross national income (at market prices) equals GDP minus primary income paid by resident institutional units to non-resident institutional units plus primary income received by resident institutional units from the rest of the world. The division of payments by member states to the European Union is largely based upon differences in gross national income.

National income is not a production concept but an income concept, which is more significant if expressed in net terms, i.e. after deduction of consumption of fixed capital.

Gross disposable national income

The sum of the net disposable incomes of the institutional sectors. Gross national disposable income equals gross national income (at market prices) minus current transfers (current taxes on income, wealth et cetera, social contributions, social benefits and other current transfers) paid to non-resident units, plus current transfers received by resident units from the rest of the world. Because disposable national income is not a production concept but an income concept, it is usually expressed in net terms, i.e. after deduction of consumption of fixed capital.

Gross national saving

The portion of national disposable income that has not been used for final consumption expenditure. This equals is the sum of the net saving of the various institutional sectors. It is usually expressed in net terms, i.e. after deduction of consumption of fixed capital.

Gross fixed capital formation

Expenditure on produced assets that are used in a production process for more than one year. This may concern a building, dwelling, transport equipment or a machine. This in contrast with goods and services which are used up during the production process, the so-called intermediate use (e.g. iron ore). Fixed capital does lose value over time as a result of normal wear and tear and obsolescence. This is called consumption of fixed capital (also called depreciation). The value of fixed capital formation in which the consumption of fixed capital is not deducted is called gross fixed capital formation. Deduction of the consumption of fixed capital results in net fixed capital formation.

The following types of fixed assets exist: dwellings and other buildings and structures, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, weapon systems (included in machinery and equipment), computers, software, telecommunication equipment, research and development, cultivated biological resources, mineral exploration and evaluation, and costs of ownership transfer on non-produced assets, like land, contracts, leases and licences.

Net lending (+) or net borrowing (-)

The national financing balance (net lending or net borrowing) is the balance of resources and expenditure on the current account and the capital account of the joint domestic sectors. In the financial account the balance gives the amount new loans are entered into with financial assets abroad and/or are sold (at a deficit) or for any amount to be repaid debts abroad and/or financial assets are purchased (at a surplus). In theory net lending or borrowing equals the change in assets less liabilities. In practice a statistical difference between the two remains.

Net lending to private sector

The difference between borrowed short-term and long-term credits and repayment of the non-financial corporations and households to other monetary financial institutions and other financial intermediaries in a period.

Lending to private sector, end of period

Total of short-term and long-term loans by other monetary financial institutions and other financial intermediaries to the non-financial corporations and households at the end of the period concerned.

Net external assets

The net external assets of the Netherlands is the balance between all financial assets owned by Dutch residents in foreign countries and all Dutch financial liabilities owed to foreign residents.

Labour input of employed persons

The amount of labour that is deployed in a given period. The volume of labour can be expressed in jobs, in full-time equivalent jobs or in labour hours worked.
Employed persons are all persons who are working for an institutional unit residing in the Netherlands.
Employed persons include all persons who:
- have a paid job for at least one hour a week.
- perform a job of which the payment is withheld from registration of tax and/or social insurance authorities, while the work itself is legal.
- are temporarily not working (due to illness, bad weather, etc.), but who continue to receive their remuneration.
- have taken a temporarily unpaid leave.
Employed persons may either be employees or self-employed. Employees are persons who during a reference period performed some work for wage or salary, in cash or in kind. Self-employed persons are those who earn their income by performing labour on their own (company, profession) or who cooperate in the business of their family. The latter are not counted as self-employed if there is an employment contract.

Non-financial corporations

The non-financial corporations sector consists of institutional units which are independent legal entities and market producers, and whose principal activity is the production of goods and non-financial services.
Non-financial corporations include:
- all corporations, quasi-corporations and co-operative organisations which do not belong to the financial corporations.
- all non-profit institutions which do not pertain to the other sectors. Examples are old people’s homes, hospitals and housing corporations.
- public enterprises, which are fully or partly owned by the government, like Dutch Rail-ways (NS).

Gross value added

The value of all goods and services produced (production value' or 'output'), minus those that have been intermediately used upon production. Value added is rated at basic prices, the prices experienced by the producer: per branch product-related taxes have been subtracted from the original prices, and subsidies haven been added to them.

Gross operating surplus

The surplus that remains after compensation of employees and taxes less subsidies on production and imports have been subtracted from the sum of value added at basic prices. For the self-employed (who are part of the sector households) the surplus is called mixed income, it is partly a reward for their entrepreneurship compensation for their labour.

In the system of national accounts 'gross' means that consumption of fixed capital (depreciation) has not been subtracted. When it has, 'net' is used. Depreciation must be paid for from the gross operating surplus.

Gross profits before taxes

The gross profits before taxes of non-financial corporations is calculated as follows:
Gross operating surplus
plus property income (interest, dividends, etc.) received
minus interest paid
minus rent paid

Profits from foreign subsidiaries

Profits of foreign subsidiaries from non-financial corporations. The profits include both dividends received as well as reinvested earnings on foreign direct investment.

Profit ratio

The profit ratio is calculated as the gross operating surplus divided by the gross value added. This profitability-type indicator shows the part of the value added which is generated by capital during the production process. It is the complement of the share of labour costs (plus net taxes on production) in value added. The gross operating surplus is an approximation of operating profit including consumption of fixed capital.

Capital formation ratio

Capital formation ratio is calculated as gross fixed capital formation divided by gross value added.

Labour input of employees

The amount of labour that is deployed by employees in a given period. Employees are persons who during a reference period performed some work for wage or salary, in cash or in kind. The volume of labour can be expressed in jobs, in full-time equivalent jobs or in labour hours worked.

Financial corporations

The financial corporations sector consists of institutional units which are independent legal entities and market producers, and whose principal activity is the production of financial services. Such institutional units comprise all corporations and quasi-corporations which are principally engaged in:
- financial intermediation (financial intermediaries); and/or
- auxiliary financial activities (financial auxiliaries).

Financial intermediation is the activity in which an institutional unit acquires financial assets and incurs liabilities on its own account by engaging in financial transactions on the market. The assets and liabilities of financial intermediaries are transformed or repackaged in relation to, for example, maturity, scale, risk, etc. in the financial intermediation process. Auxiliary financial activities are activities related to financial intermediation but which do not involve financial intermediation themselves.
The financial corporations sector is subdivided into the following subsectors:
- central bank
- deposit-taking corporations except the central bank
- money market funds (MMFs)
- non-MMF investment funds
- other financial intermediaries, except insurance corporations and pension funds
- financial auxiliaries
- captive financial institutions and money lenders
- insurance corporations
- pension funds

Gross value added

The value of all goods and services produced (production value' or 'output'), minus those that have been intermediately used upon production. Value added is rated at basic prices, the prices experienced by the producer: per branch product-related taxes have been subtracted from the original prices, and subsidies haven been added to them.

Gross profits before taxes

The gross profits before taxes of financial corporations excluding captive financial institutions and money lenders, is calculated as follows:
Gross operating surplus
plus property income (interest, dividends, etc.) received
minus interest paid
minus other investment income paid
minus rent paid

Profits from foreign subsidiaries

Profits of foreign subsidiaries from financial corporations, excluding captive financial institutions and money lenders. The profits include both dividends received as well as reinvested earnings on foreign direct investment received.

Financial net worth

Financial net worth is the balancing item of financial assets and liabilities. Financial assets mainly contain bank deposits, securities and lendings. Liabilities include mainly borrowing.
If financial assets exceed liabilities, financial net worth is positive. If liabilities exceed financial assets, financial net worth is negative, which can also be referred to as net debt.

Property income received

Property income received contains interest, dividends, withdrawals of income from quasi-corporations and rent. Property income received as a percentage of total financial assets is a measure for the returns on investments.

Property income paid

Property income paid contains interest, dividends, withdrawals of income from quasi-corporations and rent. Property income paid as a percentage of total liabilities is a measure for the cost of liabilities.

Liquidity ratio mon. fin. institutions

The liquidity ratio of monetary financial institutions is a measure of liquidity. The indicator divides deposits by total assets.

Financial assets of pension funds

Financial assets consist of all financial claims, equity and the gold bullion component of monetary gold. The financial assets of pension funds consists mainly financial investments in securities.

Labour input of employees

The amount of labour that is deployed by employees in a given period. Employees are persons who during a reference period performed some work for wage or salary, in cash or in kind. The volume of labour can be expressed in jobs, in full-time equivalent jobs or in labour hours worked.

General government (consolidated)

The general government sector primarily consists of all entities that exercise national executive, legislative and judiciary powers on a national or regional level. By this they have powers to raise taxes and other compulsory levies and to pass laws affecting the behaviour of economic units. In the Netherlands this concerns the State, municipalities, provinces, public water boards and the like. In the second place general government consists of entities that are controlled and mainly financed by the aforementioned entities, and do not produce for the market. Such entities are often established to carry out specific functions, such as road construction or the non-market production of health, education or research services. In this way, for instance, Prorail and the Open University are counted to the general government.
Government institutions that are active abroad, like embassies, belong to the general government sector as well. On the other hand foreign embassies and international institutions, like Europol and the International Court of Justice, do not belong to the Dutch government.

The Dutch Central Bank (DNB), the Dutch railways (NS), hospitals and power companies are not part of the general government sector. But also some independent governing bodies like the land registry (Kadaster). To some extent they are controlled by the government. However, their goods and services are largely financed through tariffs, and thus it is a case of market production.

The general government sector is split up into three subsectors: central government, local government and social security funds.

The principal economic functions of government are as follows:
- to provide goods and services to the community, either for collective consumption such as public administration, defence, and law enforcement, or individual consumption such as education, health, recreation and cultural services, and to finance their provision out of taxation or other incomes;
- to redistribute income and wealth by means of transfer payments such as taxes and social benefits;
- to engage in other types of non-market production.

Total revenue

The total revenue of the general government per quarter as a percentage of GDP is a moving annual total. It is calculated as the total revenue of the general government for the quarterly report plus the previous three quarters, divided by the GDP in the reporting quarterly plus the previous three quarters. The figure for the fourth quarter is equal to the annual figure.

Taxes and social security contributions

Total expenditure

Total expenditure of the Government. These expenditures include the remuneration of employees, intermediate consumption, fixed capital formation, legal social insurance, social benefits, subsidies, benefits legal provision income property, other expenditure n.e.c. (taxes on production and not related to products, benefits directly by employers, other current transfers, capital transfers, balance buying and selling of non-produced non-financial assets).
Consumption of fixed capital is not included in the expenditure.
The total expenditure of the Government per quarter as a percentage of GDP is a moving annual total. It is calculated as the total expenditure of the Government for the quarterly report plus the previous three quarters, divided by the GDP in the quarterly report plus the previous three quarters. The figure for the fourth quarter is equal to the annual figure.

Government debt (EMU)

The consolidated debt of the general government sector (valued at face value) excluding other accounts payable and debt on financial derivatives, presented as percentage of GDP. Consolidated means that debt relations within the government have been eliminated.

Due to the difference in method of valuation, the sum of debt instruments (face value) is not equal to the sum of debt instruments in the national accounts (market value). The debt according to the EMU-definition consists of the following debt instruments: deposits, short term debt securities, long term debt securities, short term loans and long term loans. The government debt (or EMU-debt) is one of the elements of the Stability and Growth Pact.

Quarterly government debt as a percentage of GDP is a moving annual total. It is calculated as the sum of the government debt of the quarter considered plus three preceding quarters, divided by the sum of GDP of the quarter considered plus three preceding quarters. The figure for the fourth quarter equals the yearly figure.

Balance general government sector (EMU)

Balance between revenue and expenditure of the general government sector, presented as percentage of GDP. In the national accounts this equals net lending/net borrowing of the general government sector.

The balance of the general government sector (or EMU-balance) is an element of the Stability and Growth Pact. A positive figure indicates a surplus; a negative figure indicates a deficit.

Quarterly balance of the general government sector as a percentage of GDP is a moving annual total. It is calculated as the sum of the balance of the quarter considered plus three preceding quarters, divided by the sum of GDP of the quarter considered plus three preceding quarters. The figure for the fourth quarter equals the annual figure.

Labour input of employees

The amount of labour that is deployed by employees in a given period. Employees are persons who during a reference period performed some work for wage or salary, in cash or in kind. The volume of labour can be expressed in jobs, in full-time equivalent jobs or in labour hours worked.

Households including NPISHs

Households including non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH)

The households sector consists of individuals or groups of individuals as consumers and as entrepreneurs producing market goods and non-financial and financial services (market producers) provided that the production of goods and services is not by separate entities treated as quasi-corporations. It also includes individuals or groups of individuals as producers of goods and non-financial services for exclusively own final use.
The sector households includes all natural persons who are resident for more than one year in the Netherlands, irrespective of their nationality. On the other hand Dutch citizens who stay abroad for longer than one year do not belong to the Dutch sector households.
The sector households does not only cover independently living persons, but also persons in nursing homes, old people's homes, prisons, boarding schools, etc. If persons are entrepreneurs, their business also belongs to the sector households. This is the case for self-employed persons (one-man business). Large autonomous unincorporated enterprises (quasi-corporations) are included in the sector non-financial or financial corporations.

The non-profit institutions serving households (NPISHs) sector consists of non-profit institutions which are separate legal entities, which serve households and which are private non-market producers. Their principal resources are voluntary contributions in cash or in kind from households in their capacity as consumers, from payments made by general government and from property income.
Examples are religious organisations, charity organisations, political parties, trade unions and cultural, sports and recreational organisations.

Gross operating surplus and mixed income

The surplus that remains after compensation of employees and taxes less subsidies on production and imports have been subtracted from the sum of value added at basic prices. For the self-employed (who are part of the sector households) the surplus is called mixed income, it is partly a reward for their entrepreneurship compensation for their labour.

In the system of national accounts 'gross' means that consumption of fixed capital (depreciation) has not been subtracted. When it has, 'net' is used. Depreciation must be paid for from the gross operating surplus.

Mixed income

Mixed income is equal to the income earned by sole proprietors and other entrepreneurs personally liable for all gains and losses from their activities. The income earned has both an element of wage income as well as profit since the entrepreneur is both rewarded for the provided labour input as well as the undertaken risks. Included in mixed income are rentals received from letting real estate and income earned from black and illegal activities.

Gross disposable income

Disposable income is the balancing item of the secondary distribution of income account. It shows for each sector its disposable income, which remains after the redistribution of primary income by compulsory or non-compulsory current transfers between the sectors. Total disposable income of all resident units is called disposable national income, which is equal to national income plus net current transfers received from the rest of the world.

Real disposable income

Disposable income of a sector is the income that remains after redistribution of the primary income by compulsory or non-compulsory current transfers between sectors (taxes on income and capital, social premiums and benefits and other income transfers). Primary income is defined as income from compensation of employees, interest, dividends, taxes and subsidies on production and imports. Disposable income is spent on consumption and free savings.
Real disposable income is disposable income adjusted for the price changes in the consumer expenditure of households (including non-profit institutions serving households).
The percentage change of the real disposable income is calculated on the basis of moving annual totals. The real disposable income of a reporting quarter plus that of the previous three quarters is divided by the sum of real disposable income of the four corresponding quarters a year earlier. The percentage change for the fourth quarter is equal to the change for the year.

Adjusted disposable income

Adjusted disposable income is equal to disposable income of households including NPISH plus any income transfers in kind provided to households free of charge by general government or NPISH. This variable facilitates comparisons over time and across countries when there are differences or changes in economic and social conditions.

Final consumption expenditure

Expenditure on goods or services that are used for the direct satisfaction of individual or collective needs. Expenses may be made at home or abroad, but they are always made by resident institutional units, that is households or institutions residing in the Netherlands. By definition only households, non-profit institutions serving households (NPISHs) and government institutions consume. Enterprises do not: expenses they make on goods and services are thought to serve production and are therefore classified as intermediate consumption of fixed capital formation. The general government is a special case. The government also has intermediate consumption, just like enterprises. But the output delivered by the government which is not directly paid for, non-market output (like safety), is classified as consumption by the general government. It is said that the government ‘consumes its own production’. The system of national accounts demands that all that is produced is also consumed (or serves as an investment). By convention, government output is consumed by the government itself. This is not the only consumption by the general government. It also contains social transfers in kind. In the Netherlands this mainly concerns health care bills paid for by the government and an allowance for the rent.

Free / individual savings

The part of the disposable income of sector households including NPISHs that is not used for the final consumption expenditure. The sum of the free savings and the balance of capital transfers received is available for capital formation, investments in financial assets or debt repayment.

Savings ratio

The savings ratio equals the gross disposable income, adjusted for the net equity in pension funds reserves, minus the consumption expenditure divided by the gross disposable income, adjusted for the net equity in pension funds reserves.

Households' capital formation ratio

Households' capital formation ratio equals gross household capital formation divided by gross disposable income, adjusted for the net equity in pension funds reserves.

Savings deposits and other deposits

Savings deposits and other deposits are all the savings of individuals and deposits (in euros and foreign currency) at any resident and non-resident bank, which are not immediately transferable without restrictions.

Insurance, pension and guarantee schemes

Insurance, pension and standardised guarantee schemes are divided into six subcategories:
- non-life insurance technical reserves
- life insurance and annuity entitlements
- pension entitlements
- claims of pension funds on pension managers
- entitlements to non-pension benefits
- provisions for calls under standardised guarantees

Pension entitlements and claims

Pension entitlements and claims of pension funds on pension managers and entitlements to non-pension benefits
Pension entitlements comprise financial claims that current employees and former employees hold against either:
- their employers;
- a scheme designated by the employer to pay pensions as part of a compensation agreement between the employer and the employee
- an insurer.

Claims of pension funds on pension managers and entitlements to non-pension benefits
For the Netherlands this category only relates to claims of pension funds on pension managers, entitlements to non-pension benefits don't occur here.
An employer may contract with a third party to look after the pension funds for his employees. If the employer continues to determine the terms of the pension schemes and retains the responsibility for any deficit in funding as well as the right to retain any excess funding, the employer is described as the pension manager and the unit working under the direction of the pension manger is described as the pension administrator. If the agreement between the employer and the third party is such that the employer passes the risks and responsibilities for any deficit in funding to the third part in return for the right of the third party to retain any excess, the third party becomes the pension manager as well as the administrator.

Home mortgages; closing balance

Total of the home mortgages at the end of the period. These are long-term loans with as collateral the property itself which is occupied by the private person.

Home mortgages; net lending

Acquisitions less disposals of home mortgages in a period. Home mortgages are long-term loans linked to dwellings owned by households. The dwellings serve as collateral.

Labour input of employees

The amount of labour that is deployed by employees in a given period. Employees are persons who during a reference period performed some work for wage or salary, in cash or in kind. The volume of labour can be expressed in jobs, in full-time equivalent jobs or in labour hours worked.

Labour input of self-employed persons

The amount of labour that is deployed by self-employed persons in a specific time period. Self-employed persons are those who earn their income by performing labour on their own (company, profession) or who cooperate in the business of their family. The latter are not counted as self-employed if there is an employment contract.

Rest of the world

The rest of the world sector is a grouping of units without any characteristic functions and resources; it consists of non-resident units insofar as they are engaged in transactions with resident institutional units, or have other economic links with resident units. Its accounts provide an overall view of the economic relationships linking the national economy with the rest of the world. The institutions of the EU and international organisations are included.
The rest of the world is not a sector for which complete sets of accounts have to be kept, but it is convenient to treat the rest of the world as a sector. Sectors are obtained by disaggregating the total economy to obtain more homogeneous groups of resident institutional units, which are similar in respect to their economic behaviour, objectives and functions. This is not the case for the rest of the world sector: for this sector, there are recorded the transactions and other flows of non-financial and financial corporations, non-profit institutions, households and general government with non-resident institutional units and other economic relationships between residents and non-residents, e.g. claims by residents on non-residents.

Net exports share

The difference between exports and imports of goods and services as a percentage of gross domestic product.

Net exports

The difference between exports and imports of goods and services.

Net primary income abroad

The difference between the received primary income from the rest of the world and the paid primary income to the rest of the world. Primary income consists of compensation of employees, taxes and subsidies on production and imports, and property income.

Net current transfers abroad

The difference between the received current transfers from the rest of the world and the paid current transfers to the rest of the world. Current transfers are dividend tax, social security benefits and other current transfers.

Net capital transfers abroad

The difference between the received capital transfers from the rest of the world and the paid capital transfers to the rest of the world.
Capital transfers are transactions, either in cash or in kind, in which the ownership of an asset (other than cash and inventories) is transferred from one institutional unit to another, or in which cash is transferred to enable the recipient to acquire another asset, or in which the funds realised by the disposal of another asset are transferred. The receipt of a capital transfer by a recipient is generally meant to finance fixed capital formation or other long-term expenses.