Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The Netherlands fits inside Germany 8.6 times.
Germany: 357,680 km² (2023) · Netherlands: 41,540 km² (2023)
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)
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 Nobel laureates were born there?
The Netherlands has produced 11.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Germany 10.1.
Germany: 10.1 (2025) · Netherlands: 11.1 (2025)
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 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?
The Netherlands and Germany are practically level.
Germany: 1.9% (2024) · Netherlands: 1.9% (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 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)
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)
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: 32.7% (2023) · Netherlands: 11.1% (2023)
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 the Netherlands are 3% deadlier than in Germany.
Germany: 3.3 per 100k (2021) · Netherlands: 3.4 per 100k (2021)
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)
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).
