Strong growth for local Netherlands economies, especially in Eindhoven, Almere

Almost all regions in the Netherlands saw economic growth last year. The Groningen region was the only one to see its economy shrink. The regions around Eindhoven and Almere saw the strongest growth, Statistics Netherlands reported on Tuesday.

In both the Eindhoven and Almere regions, the economy grew by 4.9 percent last year compared to 2016. In Zuidoost-Noord-Brabant - Eindhoven and its surroundings - last year's economic growth was mainly supported by industry and business services. In Almere, lease companies in particular contributed to the economic growth.

The Groningen region's economy was 1.5 percent smaller in 2017 than in the year before. The stats office attributes this shrinkage to the reduction in natural gas extraction. This also affected the economies of Friesland and Drenthe.

Of the four large Dutch cities, Amsterdam against saw the strongest economic growth. The Amsterdam economy grew by 3.9 percent in 2017. This growth is mainly attributable to substantial growth in the wholesale and retail trade.

In Rotterdam and Utrecht, the economy grew by 3.3. and 3.2 percent respectively. The Hague saw economic growth of 2.6 percent last year.

Flevoland saw the strongest economic growth of all Dutch provinces with 4.2 percent, followed by Noord-Holland and Noord-Brabant, each with 3.7 percent. In the province of Groningen, the economy shrank by 0.6 percent. But if gas extraction is left out of consideration, there was a growth of 2.5 percent.

In all of the Netherlands, the economy grew by 3.2 percent in 2017.