Resilience ‘elsewhere’
Well-being in the Netherlands could be negatively affected by shocks elsewhere in the world. Dependencies on the rest of the world mean that this well-being is vulnerable. Some scarce resources are not found in the Netherlands, and the supply of these resources may be uncertain due to disruption of supply chains as a result of, for example, geopolitical tensions.
- The Netherlands is highly dependent on energy imports from other countries.
Cross-border dependencies
in EU
in 2024
in EU
in 2022
in EU
in 2023
| Theme | Indicator | Value | Trend | Position in EU | Position in EU ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-border dependencies | Dependency on energy imports | 72.9% of energy is imported in 2025 | 20th out of 27 in 2024 | Middle ranking | |
| Cross-border dependencies | Economic dependence on exports | 34.1% of GDP is generated by exports in 2024 | 12th out of 27 in 2022 | Middle ranking | |
| Cross-border dependencies | Greenhouse gas footprint A) | 12.2 tonnes CO2 equivalents per capita in 2023 | 16th out of 27 in 2023 | Middle ranking |
Colour codes and notes to the dashboards in the Monitor of Well-being
Well-being in the Netherlands is at risk when the Netherlands lacks essential raw materials of its own and the security of supplies is not guaranteed, for instance due to global instability or wars. The Netherlands is highly dependent on other countries for its energy supply, for access to rare and precious metals that are used in indispensable products such as computers, phones, solar panels and electric cars, and – as an exporter of goods and services – for its economic prosperity. Demand for scarce resources is high. The more products the Netherlands imports, the larger its footprint becomes elsewhere in the world.
Dependence on energy imports has been around 70 percent in recent years. In 2025, the Netherlands relied on energy imports for 72.9 percent of its energy use. Meanwhile, renewable energy as a share of gross national energy consumption has grown significantly, reaching 20.2 percent in 2024 (SDG7 Betaalbare en duurzame energie).
Exports of goods and services account for more than a third of the Netherlands’ GDP (34.1 percent in 2024). Compared to other EU countries, export dependence is neither high nor low (12th out of 27 member states in 2022). The Netherlands is also in the middle of the pack in terms of its greenhouse gas footprint (16th out of 27 member states in 2023).