Healthcare sector in the Netherlands - Statistics & Facts

The Netherlands is known for having one of the best healthcare systems in the world, giving people access to the most advanced treatments and preventative care. The Dutch healthcare system is broadly based on three principles: universal access to care, solidarity through mandatory medical insurance (which is provided to all), and high-quality healthcare services. Several historical trends and changes, as well as social conditions, have molded the Dutch healthcare system. The comprehensive reforms in 2006 changed the role of stakeholders and actors in the healthcare sector, while the 2015 reform was targeted towards containing costs related to long-term care. Everyone registered in the Netherlands needs to have medical insurance, children under the age of 18 are registered for free under the policy of one of their parents.

Financing

Dutch healthcare is largely financed through compulsory health insurance contributions from citizens, general taxation, and government grants. The Netherlands spent over 11 percent of its GDP on health in 2020, one of the highest in Europe. The total healthcare expenditure in proportion to GDP has kept rising since 2003, and it was projected to further increase by seven percent share of GDP from 2050. The per capita health expenditure was 6.6 thousand euros in 2020, an increase of nearly 50 percent compared to 2007. The national healthcare expenditure in 2020 reached a value of more than 100 billion euros.

Health insurance

The flagship Health Insurance Act (Zvw) in 2006, integrated public and private health insurance into one mandate. The government determines what must be included in the basic healthcare available to all policy holders. Out-of-pocket cost for the basic insurance plan (Zvw) on average amounted to 1,505 euros per person in 2021. Secondly, all policy holders pay a mandatory policy excess, this was set at 385 euros in 2021 before the Zvw reimbursement kicks in. Depending on one’s healthcare needs supplemental insurance can be opted for which is fully private in nature, i.e., with no rules set by the government. In the Netherlands, there are 11 large health care insurance concerns, each with multiple companies. Some of these companies may also own multiple health insurance brands or labels. In 2021, the four biggest health insurance concerns in the Netherlands saw their market share decrease in favor of their smaller competitors.

Hospital and Pharmacies

There were 568 hospitals in the country as of 2019, with approximately 53.4 thousand hospital beds. In 2019, approximately 592 thousand people were employed in the health care sector in the Netherlands. While the number of public pharmacies in the Netherlands increased slightly from 1,989 in 2017 to 2,005 in 2021.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Preeti Vankar, Jul 27, 2022

Key insights

Total healthcare costs in the Netherlands
51.5 bn EUR
Per capita health expenditure in the Netherlands
7,129
Number of hospitals in the Netherlands in 2020
618
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Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Average nominal annual premium for basic insurance under Dutch Health Insurance Act (Zvw) per person from 2007 to 2022 (in euros)

Private Health

Annual premium for basic insurance under Dutch Health Insurance Act (Zvw) 2007-2022

Total expenditure on health as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) in the Netherlands from 1980 to 2022

Health Economics

Healthcare expenditure as a share of GDP in the Netherlands 1980-2022

Share of individuals per chosen voluntary excess ("vrijwillig eigen risico") under the Dutch Health Insurance Act (Zvw) from 2010 to 2022

Private Health

"Vrijwillig eigen risico" health insurance distribution in the Netherlands 2022

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