Netherlands
Kingdom of the Netherlands is a country in Western Europe, covered by the Atlas as part of Western & Central Europe. It is home to about 17.3 m people. Its Human Development Index of 0.955 ranks it 9 of 193 countries (2023). Its political system is classified as liberal democracy.
- Political regime
- Liberal democracy
- All countries · 2025
V-Dem (Regimes of the World), via Our World in Data
Regional profile
Western & Central Europe
Netherlands is part of Western & Central Europe. Our editors write about the region as a whole — its story, topics and sources below cover all its countries.
View the whole region →A dense cluster of small states bound by a single market, open borders and a shared postwar promise of prosperity. Western and Central Europe combines some of the world's highest living standards with ageing populations, contested migration politics and an energy transition that reshapes its industry. Its societies are secular, highly urbanised and deeply networked — and increasingly aware that the security order they took for granted is no longer given.
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