Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The Netherlands fits inside Italy 7.3 times.
Italy: 302,070 km² (2023) · Netherlands: 41,540 km² (2023)
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)
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 Nobel laureates were born there?
The Netherlands has produced 11.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Italy 3.4.
Italy: 3.4 (2025) · Netherlands: 11.1 (2025)
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 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: 1.6% (2024) · Netherlands: 1.9% (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 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)
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)
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 33% of Italy, but only 11% of the Netherlands.
Italy: 32.9% (2023) · Netherlands: 11.1% (2023)
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 47% deadlier than in the Netherlands.
Italy: 5 per 100k (2021) · Netherlands: 3.4 per 100k (2021)
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)
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).
