Netherlands vs United States
Netherlands vs United States: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 44.7% of GDP in Netherlands and 124.4% of GDP in United States, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by 79.7 percentage points, or 2.78 times that in Netherlands.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2001.
- In 2025, Netherlands ranked 93 and United States ranked 6 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Netherlands at 48% of GDP and United States at 145% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Netherlands | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 44.7 | 124.4 |
| 2024 | 44 | 122.3 |
| 2023 | 45.9 | 120 |
| 2022 | 48.4 | 119.2 |
| 2021 | 50.5 | 125 |
| 2020 | 53.4 | 132.6 |
| 2019 | 47.7 | 108.8 |
| 2018 | 51.6 | 107.7 |
| 2017 | 56 | 106.5 |
| 2016 | 60.9 | 107.5 |
| 2015 | 63.8 | 105.5 |
| 2014 | 67.2 | 105 |
| 2013 | 67.2 | 105 |
| 2012 | 65.7 | 103.7 |
| 2011 | 61.2 | 100 |
| 2010 | 58.9 | 95.7 |
| 2009 | 56.3 | 87.1 |
| 2008 | 54.4 | 73.9 |
| 2007 | 42.7 | 65 |
| 2006 | 45 | 64.6 |
| 2005 | 49.6 | 65.8 |
| 2004 | 50.1 | 66.4 |
| 2003 | 49.8 | 59 |
| 2002 | 48.7 | 55.9 |
| 2001 | 49.4 | 53.5 |
| 2000 | 52.2 | – |
| 1999 | 58.6 | – |
| 1998 | 62.7 | – |
| 1997 | 65.7 | – |
| 1996 | 71.3 | – |
| 1995 | 73 | – |
| 1994 | 73.5 | – |
| 1993 | 76.7 | – |
| 1992 | 75.6 | – |
| 1991 | 74.8 | – |
| 1990 | 75 | – |
| 1989 | 73.7 | – |
| 1988 | 73.7 | – |
| 1987 | 71.3 | – |
| 1986 | 69 | – |
| 1985 | 67.1 | – |
| 1984 | 61.9 | – |
| 1983 | 58.4 | – |
| 1982 | 52.4 | – |
| 1981 | 46.9 | – |
| 1980 | 43.6 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Netherlands | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 45.4 | 126.8 |
| 2027 | 45.7 | 128.7 |
| 2028 | 45.8 | 132.3 |
| 2029 | 46.3 | 136.4 |
| 2030 | 47.1 | 140.7 |
| 2031 | 48 | 145 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Netherlands vs United States
Health
- Life expectancyNetherlands: 82.2 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNetherlands: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNetherlands: 3.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterNetherlands: 100% in 2022United States: 97.5% in 2022
- DepressionNetherlands: 4.03% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateNetherlands: 9.2 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNetherlands: 18.1 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthNetherlands: 0.81% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNetherlands: 1.43 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNetherlands: 95.9% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageNetherlands: 41.4 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNetherlands: 20.2% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateNetherlands: 8 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingNetherlands: 2.2% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsNetherlands: $27B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personNetherlands: $1,582 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingNetherlands: 4.8% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelNetherlands: 41,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerNetherlands: 0.38% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNetherlands: 0.42% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNetherlands: 824 million TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsNetherlands: 601 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025