Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in Netherlands
Netherlands: Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by was 3,086 Thousand persons in 2026. ▼ Falling
Latest (2026)
3,086 Thousand persons
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
12th
of 45 countries
All-time high
3,822 Thousand persons
in 2005
All-time low
3,072 Thousand persons
in 2025
Years of data
29
1998–2026
Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in Netherlands, 1998–2026
Source: Eurostat. Measured in Thousand persons.
Analysis
In 2026, persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in Netherlands stood at 3,086 Thousand persons.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in Netherlands peaked at 3,822 Thousand persons in 2005 and was at its lowest, 3,072 Thousand persons, in 2025.
That places Netherlands 12th out of 45 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.
Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | Thousand persons | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 3,796 Thousand persons | — |
| 1999 | 3,718 Thousand persons | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 3,664 Thousand persons | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 3,680 Thousand persons | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 3,621 Thousand persons | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 3,682 Thousand persons | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 3,666 Thousand persons | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 3,822 Thousand persons | +4.3% |
| 2006 | 3,753 Thousand persons | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 3,650 Thousand persons | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 3,568 Thousand persons | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 3,625 Thousand persons | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 3,637 Thousand persons | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 3,582 Thousand persons | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 3,592 Thousand persons | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 3,620 Thousand persons | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 3,634 Thousand persons | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 3,667 Thousand persons | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 3,724 Thousand persons | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 3,708 Thousand persons | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 3,643 Thousand persons | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 3,590 Thousand persons | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 3,639 Thousand persons | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 3,309 Thousand persons | -9.1% |
| 2022 | 3,155 Thousand persons | -4.7% |
| 2023 | 3,103 Thousand persons | -1.7% |
| 2024 | 3,131 Thousand persons | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 3,072 Thousand persons | -1.9% |
| 2026 | 3,086 Thousand persons | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3,757 Thousand persons | 3,718 Thousand persons | 3,796 Thousand persons | 2 |
| 2000s | 3,673 Thousand persons | 3,568 Thousand persons | 3,822 Thousand persons | 10 |
| 2010s | 3,640 Thousand persons | 3,582 Thousand persons | 3,724 Thousand persons | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,213 Thousand persons | 3,072 Thousand persons | 3,639 Thousand persons | 7 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
More work & labour data for Netherlands
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 5,256 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 66.71 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 10,535 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 64.03 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.4 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.1112 % change on previous year (2027)
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 67.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in Netherlands?
- Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in Netherlands was 3,086 Thousand persons in 2026, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by recorded in Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 3,822 Thousand persons in 2005.
- What is the lowest persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,072 Thousand persons in 2025.
- How does Netherlands rank for persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by?
- Netherlands ranks 12th out of 45 countries with data for 2026.
- Is persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Netherlands data come from?
- The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by willingness to work - quarterly data. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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