Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The Netherlands fits inside Germany 8.6 times
Germany: 357,680 km² (2024) · Netherlands: 41,540 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Germany’s coastline is 5.3 times as long as the Netherlands’
Germany: 2,389 km (2026 edition) · Netherlands: 451 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Germany’s highest peak towers 2,101 m above the Netherlands’
Germany: 2,963 m (2026 edition) · Netherlands: 862 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 53% of the Netherlands, versus 47% of Germany
Germany: 47.4% (2024) · Netherlands: 53.4% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Germany has 4.6 times as many people as the Netherlands
Germany: 83.5 million (2025) · Netherlands: 18.1 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The Netherlands is 2.2 times as densely populated as Germany
Germany: 239 per km² (2025) · Netherlands: 537 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the Netherlands are 3.5 cm taller than in Germany
Germany: 180.3 cm (2019) · Netherlands: 183.8 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in the Netherlands are 4.2 cm taller than in Germany
Germany: 166.2 cm (2019) · Netherlands: 170.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Germany is 3.8 years older than in the Netherlands
Germany: 45.1 years (2023) · Netherlands: 41.4 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the Netherlands have 0.1 more children on average than in Germany
Germany: 1.36 children per woman (2024) · Netherlands: 1.43 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Germany are 65 or older, versus 21% in the Netherlands
Germany: 23.7% (2025) · Netherlands: 20.9% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Germany hosts 2 times as many refugees per resident as the Netherlands
Germany: 31.8 per 1,000 (2025) · Netherlands: 15.7 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The Netherlands has produced 11.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Germany 10.3
Germany: 10.3 (2026) · Netherlands: 11.1 (2026)
How many official languages?
Germany and the Netherlands are practically level
Germany: 1 (2026) · Netherlands: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Germany’s economy is 3.8 times the size of the Netherlands’
Germany: $5.05 trillion (2025) · Netherlands: $1.33 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The Netherlands produces 16% more per person than Germany
Germany: Int$75,407 (2025) · Netherlands: Int$87,320 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Germany than in the Netherlands (Gini 8 points higher)
Germany: 33.7 (2022) · Netherlands: 25.7 (2021)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
0.7% of people in Germany live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.1% in the Netherlands
Germany: 0.7% (2022) · Netherlands: 0.1% (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
The Netherlands and Germany are practically level
Germany: 3.7% (2025) · Netherlands: 3.9% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Germany and the Netherlands are practically level
Germany: 2.3% (2025) · Netherlands: 2.2% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
The Netherlands’ central government collects 25% of GDP in tax, Germany’s 11%
Germany: 10.9% (2024) · Netherlands: 25.3% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The Netherlands’ price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Germany’s
Germany: 80% (2025) · Netherlands: 84% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Germany and the Netherlands are nearly identical here
Germany: $6,849 (2024) · Netherlands: $6,845 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in the Netherlands live 1.2 years longer than in Germany
Germany: 80.8 years (2024) · Netherlands: 82 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the Netherlands is 10% more likely to die before turning one than in Germany
Germany: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Netherlands: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Germany has 17% more doctors per person than the Netherlands
Germany: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022) · Netherlands: 3.9 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Germany has 3.1 times as many hospital beds per person as the Netherlands
Germany: 7.6 per 1,000 (2023) · Netherlands: 2.4 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Germany is 4% higher than in the Netherlands
Germany: 10 per 100k (2023) · Netherlands: 9.6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
24% of adults in Germany are obese, versus 17% in the Netherlands
Germany: 24.5% (2024) · Netherlands: 16.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Germany smoke, versus 21% in the Netherlands
Germany: 22% (2024) · Netherlands: 20.5% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the Netherlands rate their lives 0.34 points higher than in Germany
Germany: 6.88 (2025) · Netherlands: 7.22 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Germany drink 28% more alcohol than in the Netherlands
Germany: 10.9 litres (2023) · Netherlands: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The Netherlands has 1% more meat per person than Germany
Germany: 70.7 kg (2023) · Netherlands: 71.6 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Germany has 68 kcal more food per person per day than the Netherlands
Germany: 3,535 kcal (2023) · Netherlands: 3,467 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the Netherlands put in 103 more hours a year than in Germany
Germany: 1,335 hours (2023) · Netherlands: 1,439 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Germany went to school 1.6 years longer than in the Netherlands
Germany: 14.3 years (2023) · Netherlands: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
The Netherlands welcomed 2 times as many tourists per resident as Germany (2019)
Germany: 0.45 (2024) · Netherlands: 0.91 (2022)
How many World Heritage sites?
Germany has 42 more World Heritage sites than the Netherlands (55 against 13)
Germany: 55 (2026) · Netherlands: 13 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Germany has won 980 Olympic medals, the Netherlands 524
Germany: 980 (2026 edition) · Netherlands: 524 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
97% of people in the Netherlands are online, versus 94% in Germany
Germany: 94% (2024) · Netherlands: 97% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in the Netherlands is 74% faster than in Germany
Germany: 187 Mbps (2026) · Netherlands: 324 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Germany and the Netherlands are practically level
Germany: 100% (2024) · Netherlands: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
96% of people in the Netherlands live in cities, versus 82% in Germany
Germany: 82% (2025) · Netherlands: 96% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Germany and the Netherlands are practically level
Germany: 129 (2024) · Netherlands: 129 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Germany’s railway network is 11 times as long as the Netherlands’
Germany: 33,401 km (2021) · Netherlands: 3,041 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the Netherlands fly 2.4 times as many passengers per resident as those from Germany
Germany: 0.96 (2023) · Netherlands: 2.29 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of Germany, but only 11% of the Netherlands
Germany: 32.8% (2024) · Netherlands: 11% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Germany emits 7% more CO₂ than someone in the Netherlands
Germany: 6.8 t (2024) · Netherlands: 6.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
59% of Germany’s electricity is renewable, versus 51% in the Netherlands
Germany: 59.1% (2025) · Netherlands: 51.2% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in the Netherlands carries 5% more fine dust than in Germany
Germany: 9.1 µg/m³ (2024) · Netherlands: 9.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 32% more likely to be murdered in Germany than in the Netherlands
Germany: 0.9 per 100k (2023) · Netherlands: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Germany are 6% deadlier than in the Netherlands
Germany: 5.4 per 100k (2023) · Netherlands: 5.1 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The Netherlands is on average 1.0 °C warmer than Germany
Germany: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Netherlands: 11.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The Netherlands gets 2% more rain than Germany
Germany: 871 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Netherlands: 887 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Germany bigger than the Netherlands?
Germany is larger. The Netherlands fits inside Germany 8.6 times.
Which has more people, Germany or the Netherlands?
Germany has 4.6 times as many people as the Netherlands (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Germany or the Netherlands?
People in the Netherlands live 1.2 years longer than in Germany. Life expectancy at birth is 80.8 years in Germany and 82.0 in the Netherlands.
Are people taller in Germany or the Netherlands?
Men in the Netherlands are 3.5 cm taller than in Germany (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
