Netherlands: SMEs per sector 2021

The most common SME sectors in the Netherlands in 2021 were consultancy, research and other sepcialized business services, amounting to over 371,000 companies. The source defined SME (or mkb, a Dutch abbreviation of midden- en kleinbedrijf) as a company having between two to 249 employees, as well as companies with one employee that are not classified as a freelancer/self-employed person. SMEs were the Netherlands’ second largest type of business enterprise.

Total number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Netherlands from 2014 to 2021, per sector

Characteristic	Agriculture, forestry and fishing	Manufacturing	Construction	Wholesale and retail trade	Transportation and storage	Accommodation and food service activities	Information and communication	Consultancy, research and other specialized business services	Renting and leasing of tangible goods and other business support services
2021*	76,130	70,415	205,385	250,925	50,585	64,980	100,040	371,455	85,120
2020*	75,090	68,985	193,700	239,295	47,860	61,730	98,410	366,780	80,670
2019*	74,315	66,215	178,275	231,905	44,395	57,935	93,480	347,505	74,530
2018*	73,890	62,790	165,015	228,300	41,240	55,700	88,730	329,305	69,340
2017*	73,315	60,600	156,585	223,810	38,840	53,310	84,140	311,755	65,310
2016	72,190	59,245	151,395	223,430	35,990	51,620	81,415	304,555	62,685
2015	69,750	57,520	144,805	218,510	35,070	49,765	77,630	288,015	60,515
2014	68,700	55,935	139,940	210,975	33,845	47,855	73,090	272,915	57,785