Average yield of ten-year government bonds in the Netherlands 1993-2020

The Netherlands' ten-year government bonds fell to an average yield of -0.38 percent in 2020. This is a significantly lower than the -0.07 percent in the previous year.

A ten-year government bond, or treasury note, is a debt obligation issued by a government which matures in ten years. They are considered to be a low-risk investment as they are backed by the government and their ability to raise taxes to cover its obligations. Investors track them, however, for several reasons. First, these bonds are the benchmark that guides other financial interest rates, such as fixed mortgage rates. Second, their yield will tell how investors feel about the economy. The higher the yield on a ten-year government bond, the better the economic outlook.