⌛ Then vs now
How has the Netherlands changed since 1990?
1990 then 2026 latest dataPeople in the Netherlands now live 5.1 years longer than in 1990.
Land
Farmland
59.8% in 1990, 53.4% in 2024.
People
Population
15 million in 1990, 18.1 million in 2025.
Fertility rate
1.62 children per woman in 1990, 1.43 children per woman in 2024.
Median age
33.3 years in 1990, 41.4 years in 2023.
Aged 65 and over
12.8% in 1990, 20.9% in 2025.
Money
GDP per person (PPP)
Int$19,200 in 1990, Int$87,300 in 2025.
Economy size (GDP)
$319 billion in 1990, $1.33 trillion in 2025.
Unemployment
7.3% in 1991, 3.9% in 2025.
Military spending
2.4% in 1990, 2.2% in 2025.
Tax revenue (central government)
23.3% in 1990, 25.3% in 2024.
Extreme poverty ($3.00 a day)
1.1% in 1990, 0.1% in 2021.
Health
Life expectancy
76.9 years in 1990, 82 years in 2024.
Infant mortality
6.8 per 1,000 in 1990, 3.4 per 1,000 in 2024.
Adult obesity
8.8% in 1990, 16.9% in 2024.
Hospital beds
5.8 per 1,000 in 1990, 2.4 per 1,000 in 2022.
Everyday life
Meat supply
84.1 kg in 1990, 71.6 kg in 2023.
Daily calories
3,250 kcal in 1990, 3,470 kcal in 2023.
Years of schooling
11.1 years in 1990, 12.7 years in 2023.
Working hours
1,490 hours in 1990, 1,440 hours in 2023.
Olympic medals (all time)
193 in 1990, 524 in 2026.
Connected
Urban population
69% in 1990, 96% in 2025.
Internet users
0% in 1990, 97% in 2024.
Access to electricity
100% in 1990, 100% in 2024.
Mobile subscriptions
1 in 1990, 129 in 2024.
Planet
CO₂ per person
10.8 t in 1990, 6.3 t in 2024.
Forest cover
10.2% in 1990, 11% in 2024.
Renewable electricity
1.2% in 1990, 51.2% in 2025.
Safety
Homicide rate
0.9 per 100k in 1990, 0.7 per 100k in 2023.