Country profile
Netherlands
Koninkrijk der Nederlanden
Europe · Western Europe
NL · NLD
- Capital
- Amsterdam
- Population
- 18,100,436
- Area
- 41,865 km²
- Democracy index
- 91
- Regime type
- Robust Democracy
Events
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The latest elections, referendums, and opinion polls from Netherlands. Community totals are not official results.
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Classification
Democracy profile
The score and regime label are assigned by Porto Voto using our in-house democracy index and classification framework, not ratings from governments or external agencies.
Democracy index
91/100
Regime type
Robust Democracy
The Netherlands remains a highly stable and resilient constitutional democracy, characterized by an exceptionally robust rule of law, extensive protection of individual freedoms, and an independent judiciary that serves as an effective counterweight to political authority. Following a prolonged and complex formation process, a new coalition government under Prime Minister Rob Jetten was formally sworn into office on 23 February 2026. This transition of power, navigating a minority cabinet agreement among the Democrats 66, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, and the Christian Democratic Alliance, underscores the capacity of the Dutch institutional landscape to resolve protracted political deadlocks through constitutional, consensual avenues. Electoral processes are widely trusted, free from intimidation, and strictly supervised by autonomous authorities. Media pluralism is vibrant and thoroughly insulated from state interference, allowing for robust public scrutiny and open societal debate. While the emergence of a minority executive structure demands continuous legislative negotiation and occasionally causes policy friction, institutional balances remain firmly protected and public accountability structures function at an elite level.
Last evaluation:
How we classify regimes →World Factbook
Country background
A concise introduction to Netherlands, together with notes on how power and law are organized, to put local ballots in context.
The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1581; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world. After 18 years of French domination, the Netherlands regained its independence in 1813. In 1830, Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom.
The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I but suffered German invasion and occupation in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EEC (now the EU) and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999.
In 2010, the former Netherlands Antilles was dissolved and the three smallest islands -- Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba -- became special municipalities in the Netherlands administrative structure. The larger islands of Sint Maarten and Curacao joined the Netherlands and Aruba as constituent countries forming the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 2018, the Sint Eustatius island council (governing body) was dissolved and replaced by a government commissioner to restore the integrity of public administration.
According to the Dutch Government, the intervention will be as "short as possible and as long as needed."