Netherlands climbs to 4th place on Europe's list of GDP per resident

The Netherlands has climbed to fourth place on the European list of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), this shows that the Netherlands is very attractive as a business location for companies. “Companies like to be here,” said CBS economist Frank Notten.

To arrive at this figure, CBS divided last year’s total economy size by the number of Netherlands residents. Then you end up at over 53,000 euros, about 1.5 times higher than the average in the European Union. According to Notten, this figure is a good way to compare countries' economies.

In 2021, the Netherlands was still in fifth place. According to Notten, the Netherlands has been in fourth or fifth place on the list for years. “It is always a bit of a change with Sweden. That has to do with the exchange rate of the Swedish crown.” According to the economist, the Netherlands is always relatively attractive as a location due to the good infrastructure here, relatively low taxes, and highly educated population.

Luxembourg has had the highest GDP per capita for years. The country owes its high position mainly to its many financial institutions. A relatively large number of people who do not live there also work in Luxembourg. Ireland is in second place, followed by Denmark. At 12,000 euros, Bulgaria has the lowest GDP per capita in the EU. This is more than 2.5 times lower than the European average.

According to a recent survey by the employers’ association VNO-NCW and MKB Nederland, almost 30 percent of entrepreneurs in the Netherlands no longer find our country attractive to make investments in due to government policy. About 60 percent of companies believe that the businesses climate has deteriorated in the past five years