Haarlemmermeer, Amsterdam economically hit hardest by pandemic

The Haarlemmermeer and Amsterdam regions were hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic in terms of economy, Statistics Netherlands reported on Tuesday. The two regions' economy contracted by 18 percent and 7 percent respectively last year.

Haarlemmermeer's economic contraction is largely due to Schiphol's terrible year. The coronavirus pandemic significantly reduced air travel and the Netherlands' main airport, located in Haarlemmermeer, reported an over 70 percent decrease in passengers last year. According to the stats office, Haarlemmermeer's economy is very dependent on aviation and related services.

Amsterdam's economic downturn was attributed to the tourism sector and catering industry being severely affected by the pandemic. Various travel restrictions meant a significant decrease in tourists visiting the city. And restaurants and bars had to close in the coronavirus lockdowns. 

Groningen also saw a significant economic contraction last year, with the region's economy shrinking by 5 percent. But this was due to less gas extraction, not so much the coronavirus.

Delfzijl's economy performed the best last year, seeing a contraction of only 1 percent. According to the stats office, Delfzijl has a number of companies that performed better during the pandemic. And catering and travel sectors play a smaller role in the region's economy.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, most regions saw their economies shrink by 1 to 3 percent. Delfzijl and Zeeuws-Vlaanderen even saw a small growth of around 1 percent. For the rest, the fourth quarter was comparable with the rest of the year.