Unemployed persons: % of total unemployment in Netherlands
Netherlands: Unemployed persons: % of total unemployment was 29.1 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
29.1
Change on year
up 5.4%
World rank
41st
of 45 countries
All-time high
56.2
in 2000
All-time low
27.6
in 2019
Years of data
23
1998–2020
Unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total in Netherlands, 1998–2020
Source: Eurostat.
Analysis
In 2020, unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total in Netherlands stood at 29.1.
The figure is up 5.4% on the previous year and down 32.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total in Netherlands peaked at 56.2 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 27.6, in 2019.
That places Netherlands 41st out of 45 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Unemployed persons: % of total unemployment in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 37.8 | — |
| 1999 | 34.8 | -7.9% |
| 2000 | 56.2 | +61.5% |
| 2001 | 43.9 | -21.9% |
| 2002 | 46 | +4.8% |
| 2003 | 53.1 | +15.4% |
| 2004 | 55.6 | +4.7% |
| 2005 | 55.1 | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 49.8 | -9.6% |
| 2007 | 41 | -17.7% |
| 2008 | 40.2 | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 44.4 | +10.4% |
| 2010 | 43.4 | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 40.5 | -6.7% |
| 2012 | 39.6 | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 42.7 | +7.8% |
| 2014 | 42.5 | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 40.1 | -5.6% |
| 2016 | 35.5 | -11.5% |
| 2017 | 31.6 | -11.0% |
| 2018 | 28.4 | -10.1% |
| 2019 | 27.6 | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 29.1 | +5.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 36.3 | 34.8 | 37.8 | 2 |
| 2000s | 48.53 | 40.2 | 56.2 | 10 |
| 2010s | 37.19 | 27.6 | 43.4 | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.1 | 29.1 | 29.1 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
- 38 United Kingdom 29.9 compare
- 38 United Kingdom 29.9 compare
- 40 Portugal 29.6 compare
- 41 Netherlands 29.1 compare
- 43 Spain 25.3 compare
- 44 Romania 20.7 compare
More work & labour data for Netherlands
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 32 - Employment by 655.76 Persons (2022)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 32 - Employment by 433.18 Persons (2022)
- Average actual weekly hours worked in the main job of persons who 30.4 (2025)
- Labour force participation rates by NUTS 2 region 76.2 (2025)
- Labour force participation rates by educational attainment level 85.6 (2025)
- Employment rates by NUTS 2 region 73.2 (2025)
- Labour force by NUTS 2 region 10,229 (2025)
- Employment rates by educational attainment level, citizenship and 82.3 (2025)
- Labour force by educational attainment level and NUTS 2 region 10,229 (2025)
- Employed persons by NUTS 2 region 9,833 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total in Netherlands?
- Unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total in Netherlands was 29.1 in 2020, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total recorded in Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 56.2 in 2000.
- What is the lowest unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.6 in 2019.
- How does Netherlands rank for unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total?
- Netherlands ranks 41st out of 45 countries with data for 2020.
- Is unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.9%. 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 Unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total unemployment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat).