Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The Netherlands fits inside Romania 5.7 times.
Netherlands: 41,540 km² (2023) · Romania: 238,400 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
The Netherlands’ coastline is 2 times as long as Romania’s.
Netherlands: 451 km (2026 edition) · Romania: 225 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Romania’s highest peak towers 1,682 m above the Netherlands’.
Netherlands: 862 m (2026 edition) · Romania: 2,544 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Romania has 5% more people than the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 18.1 million (2025) · Romania: 19 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The Netherlands is 6.5 times as densely populated as Romania.
Netherlands: 537 per km² (2025) · Romania: 83 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the Netherlands are 6.0 cm taller than in Romania.
Netherlands: 183.8 cm (2019) · Romania: 177.8 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in the Netherlands are 5.6 cm taller than in Romania.
Netherlands: 170.4 cm (2019) · Romania: 164.7 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Romania is 1.2 years older than in the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 41.4 years (2023) · Romania: 42.6 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the Netherlands have 0.0 more children on average than in Romania.
Netherlands: 1.43 children per woman (2024) · Romania: 1.39 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in the Netherlands are 65 or older, versus 20% in Romania.
Netherlands: 20.9% (2025) · Romania: 20.1% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The Netherlands has produced 11.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Romania 2.1.
Netherlands: 11.1 (2025) · Romania: 2.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
The Netherlands and Romania are practically level.
Netherlands: 1 (2026) · Romania: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The Netherlands’ economy is 3.1 times the size of Romania’s.
Netherlands: $1.33 trillion (2025) · Romania: $429 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The Netherlands produces 72% more per person than Romania.
Netherlands: Int$87,320 (2025) · Romania: Int$50,895 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Romania than in the Netherlands (Gini 4.1 points higher).
Netherlands: 25.7 (2021) · Romania: 29.8 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.0% in Romania, versus 3.9% in the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 3.9% (2025) · Romania: 6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Romania and the Netherlands are practically level.
Netherlands: 1.9% (2024) · Romania: 2.3% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The Netherlands’ price level (US = 100) is 1.9× Romania’s.
Netherlands: 84% (2025) · Romania: 44% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The Netherlands spends 6.5 times as much on health per person as Romania.
Netherlands: $6,845 (2024) · Romania: $1,051 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in the Netherlands live 5.5 years longer than in Romania.
Netherlands: 82 years (2024) · Romania: 76.5 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Romania is 76% more likely to die before turning one than in the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Romania: 6 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
The Netherlands has 7% more doctors per person than Romania.
Netherlands: 3.9 per 1,000 (2022) · Romania: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
38% of adults in Romania are obese, versus 17% in the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 16.9% (2024) · Romania: 37.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
30% of adults in Romania smoke, versus 21% in the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 20.5% (2024) · Romania: 29.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the Netherlands rate their lives 0.59 points higher than in Romania.
Netherlands: 7.22 (2025) · Romania: 6.63 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Romania drink 2 times as much alcohol as in the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 8.6 litres (2023) · Romania: 17.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Romania has 1% more meat per person than the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 71.6 kg (2023) · Romania: 72.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Romania has 182 kcal more food per person per day than the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 3,467 kcal (2023) · Romania: 3,649 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Romania put in 387 more hours a year than in the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 1,439 hours (2023) · Romania: 1,826 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the Netherlands went to school 1.1 years longer than in Romania.
Netherlands: 12.7 years (2023) · Romania: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
The Netherlands welcomed 29% more tourists per resident than Romania (2019).
Netherlands: 0.91 (2022) · Romania: 0.7 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
97% of people in the Netherlands are online, versus 91% in Romania.
Netherlands: 97% (2024) · Romania: 91% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
The Netherlands and Romania are practically level.
Netherlands: 100% (2024) · Romania: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
96% of people in the Netherlands live in cities, versus 52% in Romania.
Netherlands: 96% (2025) · Romania: 52% (2025)
How many phones per person?
The Netherlands has 129 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Romania 120.
Netherlands: 129 (2024) · Romania: 120 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Romania’s railway network is 3.5 times as long as the Netherlands’.
Netherlands: 3,041 km (2021) · Romania: 10,769 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the Netherlands fly 16 times as many passengers per resident as those from Romania.
Netherlands: 2.29 (2023) · Romania: 0.15 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 30% of Romania, but only 11% of the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 11.1% (2023) · Romania: 30.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the Netherlands emits 75% more CO₂ than someone in Romania.
Netherlands: 6.3 t (2024) · Romania: 3.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
51% of the Netherlands’ electricity is renewable, versus 47% in Romania.
Netherlands: 51.2% (2025) · Romania: 47% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Romania carries 49% more fine dust than in the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 9.6 µg/m³ (2024) · Romania: 14.3 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 62% more likely to be murdered in Romania than in the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 0.7 per 100k (2023) · Romania: 1.1 per 100k (2024)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Romania are 2.8 times as deadly as in the Netherlands.
Netherlands: 3.4 per 100k (2021) · Romania: 9.6 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The Netherlands is on average 0.2 °C warmer than Romania.
Netherlands: 11.2°C (2016–2025 avg) · Romania: 11°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The Netherlands gets 17% more rain than Romania.
Netherlands: 887 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Romania: 758 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is the Netherlands bigger than Romania?
Romania is larger. The Netherlands fits inside Romania 5.7 times.
Which has more people, the Netherlands or Romania?
Romania has 5% more people than the Netherlands (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, the Netherlands or Romania?
People in the Netherlands live 5.5 years longer than in Romania. Life expectancy at birth is 82.0 years in the Netherlands and 76.5 in Romania.
Are people taller in the Netherlands or Romania?
Men in the Netherlands are 6.0 cm taller than in Romania (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
