Economy Netherlands The Hague region

Dutch economy

The Netherlands is one of the twenty largest economies in the world and is a leading global knowledge economy. The country has a longstanding history of innovation, moving around the oceans of the world and trading with other countries. The Netherlands plays an important role as an European transportation hub, with a persistently high trade surplus, stable industrial relations and low unemployment. In times of global, social and economic challenges, the Dutch have found find ways to grow through innovation and entrepeneurship.

Dutch expertise

The Netherlands is often associated with wooden shoes, tulips and windmills, but offers a lot more than these historic icons. The Dutch are active worldwide in providing creative and sustainable solutions for global challenges related to water, food, energy, health, environment, and security.

For example, the Netherlands is the undisputed world leader in water management. It is home to the world’s 10 best engineering firms for water projects. In the field of food security, it is the world’s second largest exporter of agricultural products, after the US. The Netherlands is also an attractive business location, situated well for logistics, with excellent infrastructure and with an internationally-oriented population.