Netherlands: Compensation of employees (current LCU)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Netherlands' compensation of employees (current LCU) rose 14% on 2023 (from 32.8 billion to 37.39 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +3.6% and a typical year strayed about 5.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 15.9% in 1975 and the biggest yearly fall was 16.5% in 1995. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 1.61 billion a year. A straight line explains 91% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Netherlands had the 52nd highest value of the 89 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Netherlands in the 2024 ranking

• Mauritius — 48th of 89: 51.76 billion
• North Macedonia — 49th of 89: 44.57 billion
• Guatemala — 50th of 89: 37.99 billion
• New Zealand — 52nd of 89: 35.91 billion
• Namibia — 53rd of 89: 35.48 billion
• Nicaragua — 54th of 89: 34.98 billion

What this measures

Compensation of employees is defined as the total remuneration, in cash or in kind, payable by an enterprise to an employee in return for work done by the latter during the accounting period. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.

Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

All 51 values

Compensation of employees (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Albania — 138.37 billion (2024)
• Armenia — 428.74 billion (2024)
• Austria — 24.3 billion (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 5.05 billion (2024)
• Belarus — 10.02 billion (2024)
• Belgium — 15.04 billion (2024)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 4.92 billion (2024)
• Bulgaria — 7.3 billion (2024)
• Croatia — 4.39 billion (2023)
• Cyprus — 3.66 billion (2024)

More public sector data for Netherlands

• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 824 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current USD) — 28.94 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 25.66 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 2.19% (2025)
• Arms exports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 601 million (2025)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 16.87 billion (2024)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (% of GDP) — 1.5% (2024)
• Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) — -6.89 billion (2024)
• Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) — -0.61% (2024)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

What is Netherlands's compensation of employees (current LCU)?

37.39 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1974?

It is up 671.54% from 4.85 billion in 1974 (4.17% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 37.39 billion in 2024 and the lowest 4.85 billion in 1974.

How does Netherlands rank?

52nd highest of 89 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in compensation of employees (current LCU) unusual for Netherlands?

In 2024, Netherlands' compensation of employees (current LCU) rose 14% on 2023 (from 32.8 billion to 37.39 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +3.6% and a typical year strayed about 5.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.XPN.COMP.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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