Italy vs Netherlands
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
Italy and the Netherlands offer a striking contrast in European economic models. The Netherlands, with only 17 million people, has a GDP per capita roughly 70% higher than Italy's 59 million, driven by an extraordinarily open and trade-dependent economy. The Netherlands hosts Europe's largest port (Rotterdam) and serves as the European headquarters for many multinational corporations due to favorable tax policies. Italy's manufacturing sector is larger in absolute terms, particularly in fashion, automotive, and food, but lower productivity growth has held back per-capita income.
Italy has a GDP of $2.70T compared to Netherlands's $1.41T, making it 1.9x larger. Italy's population is 59.0M vs Netherlands's 18.0M. Across 12 key indicators, Netherlands leads in 7 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Italy |  Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $2.70T✓ | $1.41T |
| GDP per Capita | $45,883 | $77,881✓ |
| GDP Growth (%) | 0.8% | 1.2%✓ |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $64,809 | $86,134✓ |
| Population | 59.0M✓ | 18.0M |
| Life Expectancy | 83.7 years✓ | 81.9 years |
| Inflation (%) | 2.0%✓ | 2.4% |
| Unemployment (%) | 6.7% | 4.0%✓ |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 138.3% | 45.2%✓ |
| Fertility Rate | 1.2 | 1.4✓ |
| Gini Index | 34.3 | 25.7✓ |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 5.1✓ | 6.6 |
Summary
Italy has a GDP of $2.70T compared to Netherlands's $1.41T, making the former economy 1.9x larger. In terms of population, Italy has 59.0M people while Netherlands has 18.0M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Italy leads in 5 and Netherlands leads in 7.
ItalyNetherlands