Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The Netherlands fits inside Peru 31 times.
Netherlands: 41,540 km² (2023) · Peru: 1,285,220 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Peru’s coastline is 5.4 times as long as the Netherlands’.
Netherlands: 451 km (2026 edition) · Peru: 2,414 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Peru’s highest peak towers 5,884 m above the Netherlands’.
Netherlands: 862 m (2026 edition) · Peru: 6,746 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Peru has 91% more people than the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 18.1 million (2025) · Peru: 34.6 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The Netherlands is 20 times as densely populated as Peru.
Netherlands: 537 per km² (2025) · Peru: 27 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the Netherlands are 17.0 cm taller than in Peru.
Netherlands: 183.8 cm (2019) · Peru: 166.8 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in the Netherlands are 16.0 cm taller than in Peru.
Netherlands: 170.4 cm (2019) · Peru: 154.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in the Netherlands is 12 years older than in Peru.
Netherlands: 41.4 years (2023) · Peru: 29.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Peru have 0.5 more children on average than in the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 1.43 children per woman (2024) · Peru: 1.97 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in the Netherlands are 65 or older, versus 9.5% in Peru.
Netherlands: 20.9% (2025) · Peru: 9.5% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The Netherlands has produced 11.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Peru 0.3.
Netherlands: 11.1 (2025) · Peru: 0.3 (2025)
How many official languages?
Peru has 3 official languages, the Netherlands 1.
Netherlands: 1 (2026) · Peru: 3 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The Netherlands’ economy is 4 times the size of Peru’s.
Netherlands: $1.33 trillion (2025) · Peru: $335 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The Netherlands produces 4.6 times as much per person as Peru.
Netherlands: Int$87,320 (2025) · Peru: Int$18,816 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Peru than in the Netherlands (Gini 14.4 points higher).
Netherlands: 25.7 (2021) · Peru: 40.1 (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.1% in Peru, versus 3.9% in the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 3.9% (2025) · Peru: 5.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The Netherlands spends 1.9% of its GDP on the military, Peru 0.9%.
Netherlands: 1.9% (2024) · Peru: 0.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The Netherlands’ price level (US = 100) is 1.6× Peru’s.
Netherlands: 84% (2025) · Peru: 51% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The Netherlands spends 15 times as much on health per person as Peru.
Netherlands: $6,845 (2024) · Peru: $446 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in the Netherlands live 4 years longer than in Peru.
Netherlands: 82 years (2024) · Peru: 77.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Peru is 3.2 times as likely to die before turning one as in the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Peru: 11 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
The Netherlands has 2.3 times as many doctors per person as Peru.
Netherlands: 3.9 per 1,000 (2022) · Peru: 1.7 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
29% of adults in Peru are obese, versus 17% in the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 16.9% (2024) · Peru: 29.1% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
21% of adults in the Netherlands smoke, versus 12% in Peru.
Netherlands: 20.5% (2024) · Peru: 12.4% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the Netherlands rate their lives 1.25 points higher than in Peru.
Netherlands: 7.22 (2025) · Peru: 5.97 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the Netherlands drink 79% more alcohol than in Peru.
Netherlands: 8.6 litres (2023) · Peru: 4.8 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The Netherlands has 29% more meat per person than Peru.
Netherlands: 71.6 kg (2023) · Peru: 55.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The Netherlands has 656 kcal more food per person per day than Peru.
Netherlands: 3,467 kcal (2023) · Peru: 2,811 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Peru put in 704 more hours a year than in the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 1,439 hours (2023) · Peru: 2,143 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the Netherlands went to school 2.5 years longer than in Peru.
Netherlands: 12.7 years (2023) · Peru: 10.2 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
The Netherlands welcomed 15 times as many tourists per resident as Peru (2019).
Netherlands: 0.91 (2022) · Peru: 0.06 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
97% of people in the Netherlands are online, versus 82% in Peru.
Netherlands: 97% (2024) · Peru: 82% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in the Netherlands have electricity, versus 97% in Peru.
Netherlands: 100% (2024) · Peru: 96.5% (2024)
How many live in cities?
96% of people in the Netherlands live in cities, versus 86% in Peru.
Netherlands: 96% (2025) · Peru: 86% (2025)
How many phones per person?
The Netherlands has 129 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Peru 125.
Netherlands: 129 (2024) · Peru: 125 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The Netherlands’ railway network is 64% longer than Peru’s.
Netherlands: 3,041 km (2021) · Peru: 1,854 km (2017)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the Netherlands fly 4.5 times as many passengers per resident as those from Peru.
Netherlands: 2.29 (2023) · Peru: 0.51 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 56% of Peru, but only 11% of the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 11.1% (2023) · Peru: 56.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the Netherlands emits 3.1 times as much CO₂ as someone in Peru.
Netherlands: 6.3 t (2024) · Peru: 2.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
64% of Peru’s electricity is renewable, versus 51% in the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 51.2% (2025) · Peru: 63.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Peru carries 2.9 times as much fine dust as in the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 9.6 µg/m³ (2024) · Peru: 27.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 12 times as likely to be murdered in Peru as in the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 0.7 per 100k (2023) · Peru: 8.6 per 100k (2021)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Peru are 3.7 times as deadly as in the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 3.4 per 100k (2021) · Peru: 12.7 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Peru is on average 8.0 °C warmer than the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 11.2°C (2016–2025 avg) · Peru: 19.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Peru gets 2.4 times as much rain as the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 887 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Peru: 2,164 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is the Netherlands bigger than Peru?
Peru is larger. The Netherlands fits inside Peru 31 times.
Which has more people, the Netherlands or Peru?
Peru has 91% more people than the Netherlands (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, the Netherlands or Peru?
People in the Netherlands live 4 years longer than in Peru. Life expectancy at birth is 82.0 years in the Netherlands and 77.9 in Peru.
Are people taller in the Netherlands or Peru?
Men in the Netherlands are 17.0 cm taller than in Peru (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
