Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The Netherlands fits inside Italy 7.3 times
Italy: 302,070 km² (2024) · Netherlands: 41,540 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Italy’s coastline is 17 times as long as the Netherlands’
Italy: 7,600 km (2026 edition) · Netherlands: 451 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Italy’s highest peak towers 3,886 m above the Netherlands’
Italy: 4,748 m (2026 edition) · Netherlands: 862 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 53% of the Netherlands, versus 44% of Italy
Italy: 43.6% (2024) · Netherlands: 53.4% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Italy has 3.3 times as many people as the Netherlands
Italy: 58.9 million (2025) · Netherlands: 18.1 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The Netherlands is 2.7 times as densely populated as Italy
Italy: 199 per km² (2025) · Netherlands: 537 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the Netherlands are 9.4 cm taller than in Italy
Italy: 174.4 cm (2019) · Netherlands: 183.8 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in the Netherlands are 8.6 cm taller than in Italy
Italy: 161.8 cm (2019) · Netherlands: 170.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Italy is 6.1 years older than in the Netherlands
Italy: 47.5 years (2023) · Netherlands: 41.4 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the Netherlands have 0.3 more children on average than in Italy
Italy: 1.18 children per woman (2024) · Netherlands: 1.43 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Italy are 65 or older, versus 21% in the Netherlands
Italy: 25.1% (2025) · Netherlands: 20.9% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
The Netherlands hosts 4.8 times as many refugees per resident as Italy
Italy: 3.3 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, Italy 3.4
Italy: 3.4 (2026) · Netherlands: 11.1 (2026)
How many official languages?
Italy and the Netherlands are practically level
Italy: 1 (2026) · Netherlands: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Italy’s economy is 91% larger than the Netherlands’
Italy: $2.55 trillion (2025) · Netherlands: $1.33 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The Netherlands produces 39% more per person than Italy
Italy: Int$62,803 (2025) · Netherlands: Int$87,320 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Italy than in the Netherlands (Gini 8.6 points higher)
Italy: 34.3 (2023) · Netherlands: 25.7 (2021)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
0.9% of people in Italy live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.1% in the Netherlands
Italy: 0.9% (2023) · Netherlands: 0.1% (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.4% in Italy, versus 3.9% in the Netherlands
Italy: 6.4% (2025) · Netherlands: 3.9% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The Netherlands and Italy are practically level
Italy: 1.9% (2025) · Netherlands: 2.2% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Italy and the Netherlands are practically level
Italy: 25.6% (2024) · Netherlands: 25.3% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The Netherlands’ price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Italy’s
Italy: 69% (2025) · Netherlands: 84% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The Netherlands spends 2 times as much on health per person as Italy
Italy: $3,398 (2024) · Netherlands: $6,845 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Italy live 2 years longer than in the Netherlands
Italy: 84 years (2024) · Netherlands: 82 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the Netherlands is 48% more likely to die before turning one than in Italy
Italy: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Netherlands: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Italy has 8% more doctors per person than the Netherlands
Italy: 4.2 per 1,000 (2022) · Netherlands: 3.9 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Italy has 26% more hospital beds per person than the Netherlands
Italy: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Netherlands: 2.4 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in the Netherlands is 68% higher than in Italy
Italy: 5.7 per 100k (2023) · Netherlands: 9.6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
18% of adults in Italy are obese, versus 17% in the Netherlands
Italy: 17.9% (2024) · Netherlands: 16.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Italy smoke, versus 21% in the Netherlands
Italy: 22.4% (2024) · Netherlands: 20.5% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the Netherlands rate their lives 0.65 points higher than in Italy
Italy: 6.57 (2025) · Netherlands: 7.22 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the Netherlands drink 1% more alcohol than in Italy
Italy: 8.4 litres (2023) · Netherlands: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The Netherlands and Italy are nearly identical here
Italy: 71.2 kg (2023) · Netherlands: 71.6 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Italy has 286 kcal more food per person per day than the Netherlands
Italy: 3,753 kcal (2023) · Netherlands: 3,467 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Italy put in 263 more hours a year than in the Netherlands
Italy: 1,701 hours (2023) · Netherlands: 1,439 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the Netherlands went to school 1.8 years longer than in Italy
Italy: 10.8 years (2023) · Netherlands: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Italy welcomed 8% more tourists per resident than the Netherlands (2019)
Italy: 0.98 (2024) · Netherlands: 0.91 (2022)
How many World Heritage sites?
Italy has 49 more World Heritage sites than the Netherlands (62 against 13)
Italy: 62 (2026) · Netherlands: 13 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Italy has won 829 Olympic medals, the Netherlands 524
Italy: 829 (2026 edition) · Netherlands: 524 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
97% of people in the Netherlands are online, versus 89% in Italy
Italy: 89% (2024) · Netherlands: 97% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in the Netherlands is 19% faster than in Italy
Italy: 274 Mbps (2026) · Netherlands: 324 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Italy and the Netherlands are practically level
Italy: 100% (2024) · Netherlands: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
96% of people in the Netherlands live in cities, versus 70% in Italy
Italy: 70% (2025) · Netherlands: 96% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Italy has 133 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the Netherlands 129
Italy: 133 (2024) · Netherlands: 129 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Italy’s railway network is 5.7 times as long as the Netherlands’
Italy: 17,305 km (2021) · Netherlands: 3,041 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the Netherlands fly 6.7 times as many passengers per resident as those from Italy
Italy: 0.34 (2023) · Netherlands: 2.29 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 32% of Italy, but only 11% of the Netherlands
Italy: 31.8% (2024) · Netherlands: 11% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the Netherlands emits 24% more CO₂ than someone in Italy
Italy: 5.1 t (2024) · Netherlands: 6.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
51% of the Netherlands’ electricity is renewable, versus 49% in Italy
Italy: 48.8% (2025) · Netherlands: 51.2% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Italy carries 58% more fine dust than in the Netherlands
Italy: 15.2 µg/m³ (2024) · Netherlands: 9.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 22% more likely to be murdered in the Netherlands than in Italy
Italy: 0.6 per 100k (2023) · Netherlands: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Italy are 67% deadlier than in the Netherlands
Italy: 8.5 per 100k (2023) · Netherlands: 5.1 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Italy is on average 2.7 °C warmer than the Netherlands
Italy: 13.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Netherlands: 11.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Italy gets 16% more rain than the Netherlands
Italy: 1,030 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 Italy bigger than the Netherlands?
Italy is larger. The Netherlands fits inside Italy 7.3 times.
Which has more people, Italy or the Netherlands?
Italy has 3.3 times as many people as the Netherlands (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Italy or the Netherlands?
People in Italy live 2 years longer than in the Netherlands. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Italy and 82.0 in the Netherlands.
Are people taller in Italy or the Netherlands?
Men in the Netherlands are 9.4 cm taller than in Italy (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
