Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The Netherlands fits inside Canada 376 times.
Canada: 15,634,400 km² (2023) · Netherlands: 41,540 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Canada’s coastline is 448 times as long as the Netherlands’.
Canada: 202,080 km (2026 edition) · Netherlands: 451 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Canada’s highest peak towers 5,097 m above the Netherlands’.
Canada: 5,959 m (2026 edition) · Netherlands: 862 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Canada has 2.3 times as many people as the Netherlands.
Canada: 41.7 million (2025) · Netherlands: 18.1 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The Netherlands is 113 times as densely populated as Canada.
Canada: 5 per km² (2025) · Netherlands: 537 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the Netherlands are 5.0 cm taller than in Canada.
Canada: 178.8 cm (2019) · Netherlands: 183.8 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in the Netherlands are 5.6 cm taller than in Canada.
Canada: 164.7 cm (2019) · Netherlands: 170.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in the Netherlands is 1.1 years older than in Canada.
Canada: 40.3 years (2023) · Netherlands: 41.4 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the Netherlands have 0.2 more children on average than in Canada.
Canada: 1.25 children per woman (2024) · Netherlands: 1.43 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in the Netherlands are 65 or older, versus 20% in Canada.
Canada: 20.3% (2025) · Netherlands: 20.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The Netherlands has produced 11.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Canada 5.3.
Canada: 5.3 (2025) · Netherlands: 11.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
Canada has 2 official languages, the Netherlands 1.
Canada: 2 (2026) · Netherlands: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Canada’s economy is 74% larger than the Netherlands’.
Canada: $2.32 trillion (2025) · Netherlands: $1.33 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The Netherlands produces 31% more per person than Canada.
Canada: Int$66,746 (2025) · Netherlands: Int$87,320 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Canada than in the Netherlands (Gini 5.8 points higher).
Canada: 31.5 (2022) · Netherlands: 25.7 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.9% in Canada, versus 3.9% in the Netherlands.
Canada: 6.9% (2025) · Netherlands: 3.9% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The Netherlands spends 1.9% of its GDP on the military, Canada 1.3%.
Canada: 1.3% (2024) · Netherlands: 1.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The Netherlands’ price level (US = 100) is 1× Canada’s.
Canada: 83% (2025) · Netherlands: 84% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The Netherlands spends 7% more on health per person than Canada.
Canada: $6,378 (2024) · Netherlands: $6,845 (2024)
How long do people live?
Canada and the Netherlands are practically level.
Canada: 82.1 years (2024) · Netherlands: 82 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Canada is 38% more likely to die before turning one than in the Netherlands.
Canada: 4.7 per 1,000 (2024) · Netherlands: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
The Netherlands has 37% more doctors per person than Canada.
Canada: 2.8 per 1,000 (2023) · Netherlands: 3.9 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
27% of adults in Canada are obese, versus 17% in the Netherlands.
Canada: 27.1% (2024) · Netherlands: 16.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
21% of adults in the Netherlands smoke, versus 11% in Canada.
Canada: 11.2% (2024) · Netherlands: 20.5% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the Netherlands rate their lives 0.48 points higher than in Canada.
Canada: 6.74 (2025) · Netherlands: 7.22 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Canada drink 8% more alcohol than in the Netherlands.
Canada: 9.2 litres (2023) · Netherlands: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Canada has 32% more meat per person than the Netherlands.
Canada: 94.8 kg (2023) · Netherlands: 71.6 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Canada has 123 kcal more food per person per day than the Netherlands.
Canada: 3,590 kcal (2023) · Netherlands: 3,467 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Canada put in 292 more hours a year than in the Netherlands.
Canada: 1,731 hours (2023) · Netherlands: 1,439 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Canada went to school 1.2 years longer than in the Netherlands.
Canada: 13.9 years (2023) · Netherlands: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
The Netherlands welcomed 88% more tourists per resident than Canada (2019).
Canada: 0.48 (2024) · Netherlands: 0.91 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
97% of people in the Netherlands are online, versus 94% in Canada.
Canada: 94% (2024) · Netherlands: 97% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Canada and the Netherlands are practically level.
Canada: 100% (2024) · Netherlands: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
96% of people in the Netherlands live in cities, versus 83% in Canada.
Canada: 83% (2025) · Netherlands: 96% (2025)
How many phones per person?
The Netherlands has 129 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Canada 94.
Canada: 94 (2024) · Netherlands: 129 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Canada’s railway network is 16 times as long as the Netherlands’.
Canada: 48,150 km (2021) · Netherlands: 3,041 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the Netherlands fly 8% more passengers per resident than those from Canada.
Canada: 2.13 (2023) · Netherlands: 2.29 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 39% of Canada, but only 11% of the Netherlands.
Canada: 39.5% (2023) · Netherlands: 11.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Canada emits 2.1 times as much CO₂ as someone in the Netherlands.
Canada: 13.4 t (2024) · Netherlands: 6.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
64% of Canada’s electricity is renewable, versus 51% in the Netherlands.
Canada: 63.9% (2025) · Netherlands: 51.2% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in the Netherlands carries 37% more fine dust than in Canada.
Canada: 7 µg/m³ (2024) · Netherlands: 9.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.9 times as likely to be murdered in Canada as in the Netherlands.
Canada: 2 per 100k (2023) · Netherlands: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Canada are 38% deadlier than in the Netherlands.
Canada: 4.7 per 100k (2021) · Netherlands: 3.4 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The Netherlands is on average 14.2 °C warmer than Canada.
Canada: -3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Netherlands: 11.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The Netherlands gets 30% more rain than Canada.
Canada: 683 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Netherlands: 887 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Canada bigger than the Netherlands?
Canada is larger. The Netherlands fits inside Canada 376 times.
Which has more people, Canada or the Netherlands?
Canada has 2.3 times as many people as the Netherlands (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Canada or the Netherlands?
Canada and the Netherlands are practically level. Life expectancy at birth is 82.1 years in Canada and 82.0 in the Netherlands.
Are people taller in Canada or the Netherlands?
Men in the Netherlands are 5.0 cm taller than in Canada (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
