External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Netherlands
Netherlands: External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP was 11.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Netherlands, 1969–2025
Source: National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Netherlands recorded 11.2% for external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in 2025. That is the highest value across all 57 years on record.
The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 46.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Netherlands peaked at 11.2% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 1970.
Netherlands ranks 22nd of 191 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 57 years of available data.
External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 1.8% | — |
| 1970 | 0.5% | -71.5% |
| 1971 | 2.1% | +311.1% |
| 1972 | 4.7% | +122.3% |
| 1973 | 5.3% | +14.1% |
| 1974 | 5.5% | +2.5% |
| 1975 | 5.2% | -4.4% |
| 1976 | 5.1% | -3.4% |
| 1977 | 2.9% | -42.4% |
| 1978 | 2.0% | -32.4% |
| 1979 | 1.9% | -3.0% |
| 1980 | 1.8% | -6.3% |
| 1981 | 5.7% | +220.1% |
| 1982 | 6.1% | +6.7% |
| 1983 | 5.2% | -15.2% |
| 1984 | 7.1% | +37.3% |
| 1985 | 6.2% | -12.6% |
| 1986 | 5.2% | -16.4% |
| 1987 | 4.0% | -23.5% |
| 1988 | 4.3% | +7.4% |
| 1989 | 4.9% | +13.7% |
| 1990 | 5.6% | +15.6% |
| 1991 | 5.9% | +5.7% |
| 1992 | 5.6% | -6.4% |
| 1993 | 7.1% | +27.2% |
| 1994 | 7.3% | +3.8% |
| 1995 | 7.5% | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 6.9% | -7.2% |
| 1997 | 7.2% | +4.4% |
| 1998 | 6.9% | -4.0% |
| 1999 | 6.3% | -9.8% |
| 2000 | 7.2% | +15.2% |
| 2001 | 7.3% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 7.5% | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 7.2% | -3.8% |
| 2004 | 8.2% | +14.8% |
| 2005 | 8.9% | +8.3% |
| 2006 | 9.1% | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 7.6% | -16.2% |
| 2008 | 9.1% | +18.9% |
| 2009 | 8.1% | -10.7% |
| 2010 | 8.5% | +4.9% |
| 2011 | 8.6% | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 9.8% | +13.6% |
| 2013 | 10.1% | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 11.0% | +9.5% |
| 2015 | 7.7% | -30.7% |
| 2016 | 10.9% | +41.7% |
| 2017 | 10.7% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 10.6% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 10.0% | -5.6% |
| 2020 | 10.2% | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 9.7% | -4.9% |
| 2022 | 8.8% | -9.9% |
| 2023 | 9.9% | +13.2% |
| 2024 | 11.0% | +11.0% |
| 2025 | 11.2% | +1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1 |
| 1970s | 3.5% | 0.5% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.0% | 1.8% | 7.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.6% | 5.6% | 7.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.0% | 7.2% | 9.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.8% | 7.7% | 11.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.2% | 8.8% | 11.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
More economy & growth data for Netherlands
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 4.09 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 0.3813 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 28,099 current LCU per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 1.5 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 0.3065 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 22,581 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 9.27 % change on previous year (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.6896 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per capita 50,814 current US$ per person (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current LCU), annual growth rate 4.67 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Netherlands?
- External balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Netherlands was 11.2% in 2025, according to National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp recorded in Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 11.2% in 2025.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 1970.
- How does Netherlands rank for external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp?
- Netherlands ranks 22nd out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is up 46.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Netherlands data come from?
- The figures come from National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 57 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Exports of goods and services minus imports of goods and services divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.