https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/rss-feeds/overheid-en-politiek RSS-feed for Government and politics en-GB {B715825D-0BCF-4BB8-A8B6-A2CE8640A31E} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2026/13/government-revenue-expenditure-and-debt-surpass-500-billion-euros Thu, 26 Mar 2026 06:30:00 +01:00 {7B0868C8-2361-49A8-BC60-9B39D22E91DB} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2026/09/government-spent-4-4-billion-on-energy-transition-in-2024 The government spent 4.4 billion euros to support renewable energy and help people reduce their energy consumption in 2024. In the same year, it received 26.5 billion euros from taxes on energy consumption, such as the energy tax and excise duty on motor fuels. This is reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) based on its recently published Government Accounts for the Energy Transition. Tue, 24 Feb 2026 06:30:00 +01:00 {DC74A888-509A-4450-9907-E60109ED2728} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2025/52/government-deficit-of-11-billion-in-first-three-quarters-of-2025 The Dutch government spent nearly 11 billion euros more than it received in the first nine months of 2025. The government deficit is therefore 9 billion euros larger than it was over the same period of 2024. Total public debt stood at 494 billion euros at the end of the third quarter. That is 42.4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of provisional figures on the Netherlands’ public finances. Wed, 24 Dec 2025 06:30:00 +01:00 {9B56EB04-6A6A-4D19-B77F-023374C455D6} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/publication/2025/50/the-caribbean-netherlands-in-numbers-2025 The Caribbean Netherlands in Numbers 2025 provides an overview of the latest figures on the Caribbean Netherlands – economy and society. Mon, 08 Dec 2025 15:30:00 +01:00 {0434AAD8-5A51-4952-8447-88372A59053D} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2025/39/government-deficit-of-3-billion-euros-in-first-half-of-2025 Government spending exceeded revenues by 3 billion euros in the first half of 2025. Total public debt therefore increased by nearly 1 billion euros to 492 billion euros. That is 42.7 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of provisional figures on the Netherlands’ public finances. Fri, 26 Sep 2025 06:30:00 +02:00 {4B3445A5-8FA7-4482-BDCD-939BD74C82F6} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2025/27/public-sector-was-largest-contributor-to-economic-growth-in-2024 Government consumption was the main source of economic growth in 2024. The Dutch economy grew by a total of 1.1 percent last year, of which government consumption contributed 0.9 percentage points. The remaining 0.2 percentage points came from household consumption, exports and investment. In 2023, the economy contracted but government consumption grew. Without that growth, the economic contraction in 2023 would have been larger. This is according to figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Wed, 02 Jul 2025 15:00:00 +02:00 {1714DBD3-BFCF-4A3F-9B1C-ECB37AF1024F} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2025/25/the-netherlands-ranks-7th-on-defence-expenditure-among-nato-members The Netherlands ranks seventh among the 32 NATO countries in terms of defence expenditure per capita. Dutch defence expenditure was estimated at 1.1 thousand euros per capita in 2024. At the top of the list is the United States (US) at 2.6 thousand euros per capita. Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom rank between the US and the Netherlands. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this based on estimates from NATO dating from June 2024. Wed, 18 Jun 2025 15:00:00 +02:00 {AD48C4FC-2585-4568-86C9-5463B3BDF40E} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2025/21/high-quality-of-life-today-still-comes-at-the-expense-of-future-generations The Netherlands is a country where people are generally satisfied, trust one another and enjoy a high and increasing level of material well-being. But there are issues too. For instance, there are plenty of jobs, but work pays less well than it used to, in relative terms. The housing shortage also continues to grow. And, once again this year, the high level of well-being that we enjoy today comes at the expense of future generations. The earning power of the economy is declining, the pressure on the natural environment remains high, and the viability of the welfare state and the quality of public institutions are also under pressure. This is according to the Monitor of Well-being and the SDGs 2025, which Statistics Netherlands (CBS) presented to the Dutch House of Representatives on 21 May. The English version of the Monitor of Well-being will be published in July. Wed, 21 May 2025 15:00:00 +02:00 {5D168D3E-2AE5-45A1-ABA6-EA099E6D668F} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2025/19/4-7-million-refugees-from-ukraine-across-europe Since the Russian invasion on 24 February 2022, 4.7 million people have fled from Ukraine to other parts of Europe. At least 4.4 million of those refugees are Ukrainian nationals. Over 1.1 million Ukrainians are currently living in Germany and nearly 1 million in Poland. In February 2025 there were nearly 120 thousand Ukrainian refugees living in the Netherlands. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this based on figures from Eurostat. Fri, 09 May 2025 15:00:00 +02:00 {0336B6A7-7153-46B5-833F-98F33657876A} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2025/19/almost-7-in-10-dutch-people-have-confidence-in-the-military A total of 68 percent of the population aged 15 or older said they trusted the military in 2024. That was up from 59 percent in 2012. Only the police and the judiciary were trusted by more people. Young people have more confidence in the military than older people. This is according to the survey on social cohesion and well-being, conducted by Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Thu, 08 May 2025 15:00:00 +02:00 {76B07852-E346-4B97-B347-620895015225} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2025/13/government-deficit-rose-to-0-9-percent-of-gdp-in-2024 Government spending was 10 billion euros higher than its revenues in 2024. That was equivalent to 0.9 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), and was higher than the deficit in 2023, which stood at 0.4 percent of GDP. As of the end of 2024, total public debt was 492 billion euros, 9 billion euros higher than at the start of the year. As a percentage of GDP, however, total public debt fell from 45.2 percent at the end of 2023 to 43.3 percent at the end of 2024. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of initial, provisional figures on the public finances for the year 2024. Wed, 26 Mar 2025 15:00:00 +01:00 {FC7D04FB-78ED-40DB-8313-525E10A8FB82} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2024/52/government-deficit-of-2-billion-euros-over-the-first-three-quarters-of-2024 Government spending over the first three quarters of 2024 exceeded revenues by over 2 billion euros. Year on year, both government spending and revenues increased by 24 billion euros. Public debt amounted to 42.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). The debt-to-GDP ratio reached its lowest level since the start of the series in 1995. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of new figures on public finances. Tue, 24 Dec 2024 15:00:00 +01:00 {7976B3DE-C7D8-4525-B307-828DA16A2FEA} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/publication/2024/50/the-caribbean-netherlands-in-numbers-2024 The Caribbean Netherlands in Numbers 2024 offers an overview of the latest figures on the economy and society in the Caribbean Netherlands. Thu, 12 Dec 2024 15:30:00 +01:00 {DB79EDEB-2483-47CC-840E-133522F088D7} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/publication/2024/37/dutch-trade-in-facts-and-figures-2024 Dutch Trade in Facts and Figures, 2024 provides current and relevant information on the state of internationalisation in the Netherlands. Among the topics covered in this publication are Dutch exports of goods and services, export earnings and export induced employment, as well as the Dutch participation in international value chains, the activities of multinationals, the Dutch share in international investment and the footprint of Dutch imports. Thu, 31 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +01:00 {F86A21F9-2E03-40B4-9CA2-157C80A41A7F} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2024/39/decrease-in-public-debt-continued-in-first-half-of-2024 In H1 2024, the Netherlands’ public debt fell by nearly 6 billion euros to 475 billion euros. That is 43.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), nearly 2 percentage points lower than at the end of 2023. This reduction in the first half of the year was due to a surplus of 8 billion euros. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of provisional figures on public finances. Mon, 23 Sep 2024 15:00:00 +02:00 {FB0053C3-80F2-4229-9DC3-BAF3E479895F} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/publication/2024/36/the-netherlands-in-numbers-2024-edition What would you like to know about the Netherlands? Mon, 16 Sep 2024 15:00:00 +02:00 {5285A517-0B68-4A0D-A839-674A68506880} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2024/28/today-s-well-being-increasingly-comes-at-the-expense-of-future-generations The Netherlands remains a prosperous country and a relatively cohesive society. However, for years our well-being in the ‘here and now’ has come at the expense of opportunities for future generations (‘later’) and the chances that people living elsewhere in the world have of achieving similar levels of well-being (‘elsewhere’). Natural capital, in particular, is on the decline in terms of both quantity and quality. In spite of the gradual greening of the Dutch economy, the challenges around nature and climate remain urgent. In addition, many systems required for the success of future well-being are faltering. The way in which well-being is distributed also means that the youngest age groups have the least favourable outcomes. If current trends continue, the next generation will achieve lower levels of well-being. These are among the findings of the Monitor of Well-being and the SDGs 2024 presented by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) to the Dutch House of Representatives on 15 May (Accountability Day). The English version of the report will be published in July. Wed, 10 Jul 2024 15:00:00 +02:00 {918F286A-3BA1-42F8-B2B6-78A08DC91467} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2024/22/most-eu-funding-received-by-the-netherlands-is-for-research-and-innovation The Netherlands received more than 2.9 billion euros in funding from the European Commission in 2022. This money is earmarked for various purposes that are grouped into 15 themed clusters. Most of the money (38 percent) went to research and innovation, particularly at universities and colleges. The distribution of funding received by the Netherlands across different clusters shows a quite different pattern to the funding received by other countries and to European spending as a whole. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this based on figures from the European Commission. Fri, 31 May 2024 15:00:00 +02:00 {3EE0B598-D8B2-4BA8-84AD-2736E6D40377} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2024/20/today-s-well-being-increasingly-comes-at-the-expense-of-future-generations The Netherlands remains a prosperous country and a relatively cohesive society. However, for years our well-being in the ‘here and now’ has come at the expense of opportunities for future generations (‘later’) and the chances that people living elsewhere in the world have of achieving similar levels of well-being (‘elsewhere’). Natural capital, in particular, is on the decline in terms of both quantity and quality. In spite of the gradual greening of the Dutch economy, the challenges around nature and climate remain urgent. In addition, many systems required for the success of future well-being are faltering. The way in which well-being is distributed also means that the youngest age groups have the least favourable outcomes. If current trends continue, the next generation will achieve lower levels of well-being. These are among the findings of the Monitor of Well-being and the SDGs 2024 presented by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) to the Dutch House of Representatives on 15 May (Accountability Day). The English version of the report will be published in July. Wed, 15 May 2024 10:51:00 +02:00 {54511B6E-E432-4F15-905C-69661A387056} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2024/20/dutch-people-trust-eu-more-than-dutch-house-of-representatives In 2023, almost half of Dutch people aged 15 or older said they had confidence in the European Union (EU). That was more than the percentage who said they trusted the Dutch House of Representatives (29 percent) and politicians in general (24 percent). Trust in the EU has declined over the past two years, however. This is according to the Social Cohesion and Well-Being survey conducted by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) among nearly 92 thousand people aged 15 or older in the period 2012-2023. Tue, 14 May 2024 15:00:00 +02:00 {0220E4D8-E94E-4A3D-84F5-DC4C3225B5EF} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2024/13/government-deficit-at-0-3-percent-of-gdp-in-2023 The Dutch government spent 3.5 billion euros more than it received in 2023. This is equivalent to 0.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), and was slightly higher than the 2022 deficit, which was 0.1 percent of GDP. At the end of 2023, government debt stood at 481 billion euros, almost the same level as at year-end 2022, while as a percentage of GDP it fell to 46.5 percent. This stood at 50.1 percent in the previous year. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of initial, provisional figures on government finance over the year 2023. Mon, 25 Mar 2024 15:00:00 +01:00 {94FD0DE6-ABD7-414B-9A3B-6620777E5AB6} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2023/51/public-revenue-3-bn-euros-higher-than-expenditure-after-three-quarters The Dutch central government achieved a surplus of 3 billion euros over the first three quarters of this year. This is 2 billion more than one year previously. Over the past three quarters, public debt decreased by nearly 14 billion euros, to 467 billion euros or 45.9 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). At the end of 2022, the debt still stood at 50.1 percent of GDP. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of new figures on public finances. Fri, 22 Dec 2023 15:00:00 +01:00 {F5B7999D-0128-4884-94D7-1FE785ED9EFE} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/publication/2023/50/the-caribbean-netherlands-in-numbers-2023 The Caribbean Netherlands in Numbers 2023 offers an overview of the latest figures on the economy and society in the Caribbean Netherlands. Tue, 12 Dec 2023 15:30:00 +01:00 {7D0CBF5F-9515-4CDB-94D4-4871993CDBEC} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/publication/2023/36/the-netherlands-in-numbers-2023-edition What would you like to know about the Netherlands? Thu, 14 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +02:00 {78AC29B5-03B4-4B70-8D10-77DA28AD7DAF} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2023/19/trust-in-parliament-at-10-year-low In the last quarter of 2022, 25 percent of the Dutch population aged 15 years and over had confidence in the lower house of Dutch Parliament, the so-called Tweede Kamer (House of Representatives). This is the lowest level since 2012, when this research was conducted for the first time. At 21 percent, trust in politicians was also considerably lower than in previous years. Confidence in the judiciary, the police and health care was significantly higher at almost 80 percent. This is evident from a survey on social cohesion and well-being, conducted by Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Tue, 09 May 2023 15:00:00 +02:00 {A6F049E5-1CCF-4075-B855-C9725BCC3014} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2023/12/public-revenue-and-public-expenditure-nearly-balanced-in-2022 The Dutch government realised a slight surplus of 0.1 billion euros over 2022. There was still a 20-percent budget deficit in 2021, equivalent to 2.4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Government debt rose by 31 billion euros in 2022. As a percentage of GDP, debt fell by 1.5 percentage points, taking the debt-to-GDP ratio to 51.0 percent by the end of 2022. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of initial, provisional figures on government finance over the year 2022. Mon, 27 Mar 2023 15:00:00 +02:00 {1AFA3519-BCED-4B0A-B5ED-25F221B0582C} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/background/2023/09/sdc-and-special-focus-groups-a-european-perspective With the availability of larger and more diverse data sources, Statistical Institutes in Europe are inclined to publish statistics on smaller groups than they used to do. Moreover, high impact global events like the COVID‐19 crisis and the situation in Ukraine may also ask for statistics on specific subgroups of the population Thu, 02 Mar 2023 10:37:00 +01:00 {BECDFB8F-569B-4F01-B0DA-84EEB67FA6D2} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2022/51/public-debt-dipped-below-50-percent-of-gdp-at-end-of-q3-2022 At the end of Q3 2022, government debt as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) came out at 49 percent. This is over 3 percentage points lower than at the start of Q1 2022. The first three quarters produced a positive budget balance of 7 billion euros. In 2021, the Dutch government still ran a public deficit of 20 billion euros over the same period of three quarters. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of new figures on public finances. Tue, 03 Jan 2023 15:00:00 +01:00 {F9C9D668-931E-4FA4-86CF-9FB812D0B8D5} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/publication/2022/49/the-caribbean-netherlands-in-numbers-2022 The Caribbean Netherlands in Numbers 2022 offers an overview of the latest figures on the economy and society in the Caribbean Netherlands. Tue, 06 Dec 2022 12:00:00 +01:00 {C40999F7-ACBD-4C0F-817C-81AA4C4929FE} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2022/12/government-deficit-for-2021-down-to-2-5-percent-of-gdp In 2021, the Dutch government recorded a budget deficit of almost 22 billion euros. This is equal to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Government debt rose to 448 billion euros in 2021, equal to 52.1 percent of GDP. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of initial, provisional figures on government finance over the year 2021. Tue, 29 Mar 2022 15:00:00 +02:00 {FCFE2B98-FA05-4D5A-81C8-5CA577964FE0} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/publication/2021/43/climate-and-energy-outlook-2021 The Netherlands Climate and Energy Outlook 2021 (KEV) is a joint publication by PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, TNO Energy Transition, Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl) and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). Thu, 28 Oct 2021 10:15:00 +02:00 {23B98E8C-59BF-4CB8-BE9C-CBC3CF48732F} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/background/2021/28/assessing-public-sector-productivity A methodological study into the productivity of the Dutch public sector with calculations for the courts, public prosecution service and the police Tue, 13 Jul 2021 10:50:00 +02:00 {E4D77556-6974-40D1-9AEB-3E78063DDA8C} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/background/2021/26/productivity-in-the-dutch-public-sector A methodological study into the productivity of the Dutch public sector with calculations in two institutions: libraries and fire services Tue, 29 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +02:00 {E0F1B5E7-8C5C-47C9-B42A-458BBA80E249} https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2021/19/government-balance-deteriorating-but-less-than-elsewhere-in-western-europe In 2020, the coronavirus crisis drained the government budgets of countries all across Europe. Nevertheless, in the Netherlands the government budget was not affected as severely as in the surrounding countries. While public spending increased relatively sharply, revenues did decline less markedly than elsewhere around Western Europe. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this in an article on Dutch government finance during the coronavirus crisis from a European perspective. Mon, 17 May 2021 15:00:00 +02:00