Area 37,000 square kilometres (excluding water) - 119 percent the size of Belgium, 10 percent of Germany, 15 percent of the UK, 7 percent of France and 0.4 percent of the USA.

Inhabitants
15.7 million - 155 percent of the population of Belgium, 19 percent of Germany, 26 percent of the UK, 27 percent of France and 6 percent of the USA.

Population density
The Netherlands has the highest population density in the Western world, with 424 people per square kilometre. Population density in Germany is 230 per square kilometre, 242 in the UK, 108 in France, 331 in Belgium and 28 in the USA.

Economy
The Netherlands is the 11th wealthiest nation in the Western world with a gross domestic product of 22,142 dollars US per capita. This is just below Canada and Belgium and slightly above France and Germany. The wealthiest country is still Luxembourg, with a GDP of 33,119 dollars per capita. Total Dutch GDP is 378.3 billion dollars, which amounts to 151 percent of Belgian GDP, 18 percent of German GDP, 28 percent of British GDP, 26 percent of French GDP and 5 percent of American GDP.

Sources: OECD, Eurostat, CBS.

NRC Webpagina's
1 JULI 1999