Netherlands
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Netherlands
Overview of the education system (EAG 2025)
  • Women accounted for 54% of first-time entrants to tertiary education in 2023, up from 52% in 2013, matching the OECD average and confirming sustained female majority participation.
  • Almost all first-time entrants (96%) enrol in bachelor’s programmes, well above the OECD average of 78%, showing the dominant role of bachelor’s pathways.
  • Students receive 940 hours of compulsory instruction in primary and 1,000 in lower secondary, above OECD averages of 804 and 909, raising instructional intensity and staffing needs.
  • Public funding accounts for 88.2% of primary to post-secondary non-tertiary education, below the OECD average of 90.4%. At pre-primary (86.3%) and tertiary (74.4%), shares are above OECD averages.
  • In the Netherlands, the share of international tertiary students rose from 11.8% in 2018 to 17.9% in 2023, compared with the OECD average increase from 6% to 7.4%, showing strong growth in international student mobility.
  • Admissions are mixed: some tertiary programmes are open, others selective, with applications submitted to a central body.
    • | Education at a Glance 2025 | Country note | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2025 | OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 | OECD Education Policy Outlook: Netherlands | Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap (Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, in Dutch) | Trends in Beeld (Trends in Focus, in Dutch) | Open Onderwijsdata (Open Education Data, in Dutch) |

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    The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries. The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD and partner countries. Find out more about the methodology here.

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    Attainment by gender

    The share of 25-34 year-old women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Netherlands is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (36.2 %, rank 35/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Netherlands is one of the highest among countries with available data. (63.8 %, rank 3/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Attainment by field of education

    The percentage of 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (11.3 %, rank 25/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (20.9 %, rank 26/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Entrance

    In Netherlands, the average age of new entrants in bachelor's programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (19.6 Years, rank 38/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average age of new entrants in tertiary education in Netherlands is comparatively young. (19.8 Years, rank 31/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Entrance by field of education and gender

    The share of female new entrants to bachelor’s programmes in business, administration and law was among the smallest in Netherlands compared to other countries. (43.1 %, rank 38/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of business, administration and law is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (45.8 %, rank 36/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering short cycle tertiary programmes in engineering, manufacturing and construction in Netherlands is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (11.5 %, rank 28/32 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering short cycle tertiary programmes in health and welfare in Netherlands is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (68.7 %, rank 25/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering short cycle tertiaryprogrammes in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics in Netherlands is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (0 %, rank 24/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering short cycle tertiary programmes in Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Netherlands is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (12.2 %, rank 29/32 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of business, administration and law is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (40.5 %, rank 29/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (34 %, rank 22/23 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of services is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (37.4 %, rank 24/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Participation in education

    The proportion of upper secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (69.6 %, rank 4/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students in government-dependent private tertiary educational institutions is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (57 %, rank 5/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the share of female students in lower secondary general programmes was among the smallest internationally. (48.1 %, rank 43/47 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the enrolment rate of children under 3 is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 39/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of students enrolled in programmes providing full completion and access to tertiary education among all students enrolled in upper secondary vocational programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (51.6 %, rank 37/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at all early childhood education level is comparatively high. (79.4 %, rank 4/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at pre-primary level is comparatively high. (79.4 %, rank 4/45 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average age of lower secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes in Netherlands is one of the lowest compared to other countries with available data. (16.6 %, rank 17/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of upper secondary students enrolled in programmes giving full level completion without access to tertiary education in Netherlands is relatively high compared to the other countries. (48.4 %, rank 3/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Students enrolled in programmes providing full completion and access to tertiary education among all students enrolled in post-secondary non-tertiary vocational programmes are proportionally more in Netherlands than in the other countries. (100 %, rank 1/22 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average age of short-cycle tertiary students enrolled in vocational programmes is comparativele high. (3 %, rank 3/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The percentage of below-two year-olds in other registered ECEC services in Netherlands is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (65.3 %, rank 1/12 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of two-year-olds in early childhood education in Netherlands is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 39/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of two-year-olds in other registered ECEC services in Netherlands is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (88.4 %, rank 1/13 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of three-year-olds in other registered ECEC services in Netherlands is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.7 %, rank 3/9 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female students enrolled in post-secondary non-tertiary programmes is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (36.4 %, rank 26/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Graduation

    The average age of graduates from general programmes at the upper secondary level in Netherlands is comparatively low. (17 Years, rank 39/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the average age of first-time tertiary graduates is relatively low. (23.5 Years, rank 30/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average age of bachelor's or equivalent graduates in Netherlands is among the youngest. (23.3 Years, rank 29/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of education in Netherlands is relatively small. (1.1 %, rank 42/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of sciences, journalism and information in Netherlands is relatively small. (6.6 %, rank 40/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction in Netherlands is relatively small. (9.9 %, rank 40/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of health and welfare in Netherlands is relatively large. (41.5 %, rank 1/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the proportion of upper secondary vocational graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (19.3 %, rank 30/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the proportion of upper secondary vocational graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (28.1 %, rank 3/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the proportion of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of STEM is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2 %, rank 34/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the proportion of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3 %, rank 1/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the share of short-cycle tertiary vocational graduates in the field of business, administration and law is relatively high compared to other OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (4 %, rank 4/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of business, administration and law is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3 %, rank 5/44 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education and gender

    In Netherlands, the share of female tertiary graduates in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (19.2 %, rank 1/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the proportion of female graduates from upper secondary vocational programmes in the field of business, administration and law is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries. (47.5 %, rank 38/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of business, administration and law is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (49.2 %, rank 40/43 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Dropout rates

    For male new entrants, drop out rates one year beyond the theoretical duration placed Netherlands among the lowest internationally. (17.6 %, rank 26/30 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Drop out rates of all new entrants to bachelor's programmes one year beyond the theoretical duration ranked Netherlands among the lowest across countries with available data. (14.2 %, rank 26/30 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Female drop out rates by the end of the theoretical duration plus three years placed Netherlands among the lowest across countries. (12.1 %, rank 26/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Gap year

    The share of female students who entered a bachelor's programme and took at least one gap year was among the lowest across countries with available data. (14.4 %, rank 21/23 , 2020) Download Indicator

    The share of male students who entered a bachelor's programme and took at least one gap year placed Netherlands among the lowest internationally. (12.6 %, rank 22/23 , 2020) Download Indicator

    For all students who entered a bachelor's programme, the share who took at least one gap year ranked Netherlands among the lowest across countries with available data. (13.5 %, rank 22/23 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Fields of education

    In Netherlands, the percentage of new entrants to tertiary education in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is relatively low. (9.6 %, rank 35/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of education is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (1.1 %, rank 35/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of health and welfare is relatively high, compared to other countries with available data. (36.6 %, rank 3/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of new entrants in Science, technology, engineering and mathematics bachelor's programmes is relatively low in Netherlands among countries with available data. (20.8 %, rank 34/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the share of new entrants in health and welfare master's programmes is relatively lowest, compared to other countries with available data. (9.7 %, rank 35/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Student mobility

    The proportion of international students among the new entrants in master's programmes in Netherlands is relatively high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (35.3 %, rank 5/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the proportion of international or foreign students enrolled in bachelor's programmes is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (15.8 %, rank 5/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the proportion of international or foreign students enrolled in short-cycle tertiary programmes is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (10.7 %, rank 5/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student

    Annual expenditure per secondary student is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (19058 USD Equivalent, rank 5/39 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student for core educational services on primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education in Netherlands is comparatively high. (17287 USD Equivalent, rank 5/29 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student for core educational services on tertiary education in Netherlands is comparatively high. (16306 USD Equivalent, rank 5/28 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student for core educational services on primary to tertiary education in Netherlands is comparatively high. (17042 USD Equivalent, rank 4/28 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Expenditure in education and national wealth

    In Netherlands, international expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively high. (0 %, rank 4/32 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    The share of teachers aged between 30 and 39 in secondary schools is especially small. (23.2 %, rank 34/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in pre-primary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (87.9 %, rank 40/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in lower secondary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (56.3 %, rank 37/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female teachers aged 50 or more in lower secondary education is especially low in Netherlands. (51.7 %, rank 34/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the share of bachelor's, master's and doctoral level teachers older than 50 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (29.5 %, rank 30/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the share of tertiary teachers older than 50 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (29.9 %, rank 31/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the share of tertiary teachers younger than 30 is relatively high, compared to other countries with data available. (19.2 %, rank 4/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of male teachers in pre-primary education is especially high in Netherlands. (12.1 %, rank 1/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of teachers under 30 in Netherlands is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (16.2 %, rank 2/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the share of post secondary non-tertiary education teachers under 30 is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data (9.5 %, rank 4/20 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries

    After 15 years of experience, a lower secondary teacher with minimum qualification can expect to have one of the highest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (102711 USD Equivalent, rank 3/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of pre-primary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.86 Ratio, rank 3/18 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of primary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.86 Ratio, rank 3/19 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of lower secondary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.89 Ratio, rank 3/19 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of upper secondary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.89 Ratio, rank 4/20 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average actual pre-primary teacher's salary among teachers aged between 25-64 is one of the highest per hour of net teaching time among OECD and partner countries with available data. (88465 USD Equivalent, rank 1/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average actual primary teacher's salary among teachers aged between 25-64 is one of the highest per hour of net teaching time among OECD and partner countries with available data. (88465 USD Equivalent, rank 2/32 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average actual lower secondary teacher's salary among teachers aged between 25-64 is one of the highest per hour of net teaching time among OECD and partner countries with available data. (96106 USD Equivalent, rank 2/32 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average actual upper secondary teacher's salary among teachers aged between 25-64 is one of the highest per hour of net teaching time among OECD and partner countries with available data. (96106 USD Equivalent, rank 3/32 , 2023) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, a lower secondary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the highest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (102711 USD Equivalent, rank 3/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, an upper secondary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the highest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (102711 USD Equivalent, rank 3/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, a pre-primary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the highest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (96250 USD Equivalent, rank 2/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, a primary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the highest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (96250 USD Equivalent, rank 2/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The salaries of 25-34 year-old general lower-secondary teachers relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is high in Netherlands. (1 Ratio, rank 5/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average actual salaries of 25-34 year-old lower-secondary teachers is one of the highest in Netherlands relatively compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (77048 USD Equivalent, rank 1/27 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The average actual salaries of 55-64 year-old lower-secondary teachers is one of the highest in Netherlands. (106862 USD Equivalent, rank 2/27 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Actual salaries for all academic staff in public institutions placed Netherlands among the countries with the highest values. (90400 USD Equivalent, rank 5/16 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries progression

    The salary progression from the start to the top of the salary scale for a lower secondary school teacher is among the most rewarding among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.06 Ratio, rank 4/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Salaries of lower secondary teachers with minimum training after 10 years of experience are especially high. (89684 USD Equivalent, rank 4/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In lower secondary education, the salary ratio of teachers with maximum qualifications at the top of the salary scale to those with minimum training and starting salaries is comparatively high. (2.06 Ratio, rank 4/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Principals' salaries

    Lower-secondary 25-64 year-old school heads' salaries relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is high in Netherlands. (1.22 Ratio, rank 4/17 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average actual salaries of 25-64 year-old primary school heads is one of the highest in Netherlands. (122887 USD Equivalent, rank 2/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average actual salaries of 25-64 year-old lower secondary education school heads is one of the highest in Netherlands. (137795 USD Equivalent, rank 3/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average upper-secondary school heads' actual salary is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (137795 USD Equivalent, rank 5/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the average actual salaries of 25-34 year-old lower-secondary school heads is relatively high compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (112683 USD Equivalent, rank 3/17 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The average actual salaries of 55-64 year-old lower secondary school heads is one of the highest in Netherlands. (143425 USD Equivalent, rank 3/24 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Ratio of student to teaching staff

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the vocational upper secondary level is especially high in Netherlands. (17.1 Ratio, rank 5/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the number of students per teacher in all private secondary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (16.1 Ratio, rank 4/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the number of students per teacher in independent private bachelor's, master's, doctoral or equivalent programmes is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (13.1 Ratio, rank 17/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Employment and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a short-cycle tertiary education degree is high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (89.8 %, rank 4/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (92.2 %, rank 4/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with below upper secondary education is compartively high in Netherlands. (68 %, rank 5/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with tertiary education is compartively high in Netherlands. (92.1 %, rank 3/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is compartively high in Netherlands. (86.7 %, rank 2/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 55-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is compartively high in Netherlands. (77.4 %, rank 3/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (88.6 %, rank 4/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a short-cycle tertiary education is comparatively high. (94.2 %, rank 2/26 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the employment rate of 25-34 year-olds with a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is relatively high in Netherlands. (95.9 %, rank 4/21 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the employment rate of 25-34 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is relatively high in Netherlands. (94.6 %, rank 1/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Employment by gender and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds without upper secondary education is comparatively high. (68.5 %, rank 4/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-old women with tertiary education is compartively high in Netherlands. (90.7 %, rank 2/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 55-64 year-old men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is compartively high in Netherlands. (83.3 %, rank 2/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 55-64 year-old women with below upper secondary education is compartively high in Netherlands. (55.9 %, rank 4/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the employment rate among 25-34 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively high (84.2 %, rank 5/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the share of employed 25-64 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (90.1 %, rank 5/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Employment by field of education

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of arts is high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (90.1 %, rank 2/16 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of business, administration and law is high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (91.8 %, rank 2/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Unemployment and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with below upper secondary education is comparatively low. (6.3 %, rank 32/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (3.3 %, rank 34/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 55-64 year-olds with below upper secondary education is comparatively low. (2.3 %, rank 34/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 55-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (2 %, rank 31/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds without upper secondary education is comparatively low. (3.2 %, rank 34/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (2.4 %, rank 35/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a short-cycle tertiary education degree is one the lowest of all OECD countries and partner economies for which data are available. (1.6 %, rank 22/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (2.1 %, rank 30/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among the unemployed population aged between 25 and 64 with tertiary education, the share of those who have been unemployed for less than 3 months is one of the largest in Netherlands, compared to other OECD countries. (52.8 %, rank 5/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among the unemployed population aged between 25 and 64 with tertiary education, the share of those who have been unemployed for at least 12 months is one of the smallest in Netherlands, compared to OECD countries. (16.2 %, rank 31/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is one of the lowest of all OECD countries and partner economies for which data are available. (2.6 %, rank 32/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Unemployment by gender and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-old men without upper secondary education is comparatively low. (2.7 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-old men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (2.2 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-old women without upper secondary education is comparatively low. (4 %, rank 33/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-old women with upper secondary or a post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (2.6 %, rank 32/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old men with below upper secondary education is compartively low in Netherlands. (5 %, rank 33/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is compartively low in Netherlands. (3.3 %, rank 33/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is compartively low in Netherlands. (3.2 %, rank 35/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 55-64 year-old men with below upper secondary education is compartively low in Netherlands. (2.3 %, rank 31/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 55-64 year-old men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is compartively low in Netherlands. (1.8 %, rank 33/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 55-64 year-old women with below upper secondary education is compartively low in Netherlands. (2.4 %, rank 29/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or a post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (2.6 %, rank 29/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or a post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (2.6 %, rank 28/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the share of unemployed 25-64 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.4 %, rank 29/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the share of unemployed 25-64 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.8 %, rank 31/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Inactivity and educational attainment

    The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with tertiary education is low in Netherlands. (4.9 %, rank 37/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (2.3 %, rank 33/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The inactivity rate of 55-64 years-old adults with below upper secondary education is low in Netherlands. (33.6 %, rank 36/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The inactivity rate of 55-64 years-old adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is low in Netherlands. (21.1 %, rank 34/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Inactivity by gender and educational attainment

    In Netherlands, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old women with tertiary education is relatively low. (6.1 %, rank 37/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Earnings and educational attainment

    Earnings of foreign-born aged between 25 and 64 who work full- and part-time with a short cycle tertiary education are comparatively high. (131.6 %, rank 2/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 45-54 year-olds working full-time and full-year with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education compared to those of adults without an upper secondary education are relatively high in Netherlands. (139 Index, rank 4/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 25-64 year-olds working full-time and full-year with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education compared to those of adults without an upper secondary education are relatively low in Netherlands. (114 Index, rank 17/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the distribution of worker earning more than half the median but at or below the median among those with below upper secondary education is comparatively low. (37 Index, rank 26/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings, gender and educational attainment

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (among 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary education or post-secondary non-tertiary education and income from employment) are one of the highest among countries with available data. (84.9 %, rank 5/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (25-64 year-olds with income from employment) are one of the highest among countries with available data. (91.9 %, rank 4/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women (as a percentage of men's earnings) among full- and part-time 25-64 year-olds with below upper secondary education are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (54.6 %, rank 30/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women (as a percentage of men's earnings) among full- and part-time 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (67.2 %, rank 26/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women (as a percentage of men's earnings) among full- and part-time 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (59.8 %, rank 29/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the proportion of young women's earnings as a percentage of men's earnings (25-34 year-olds with tertiary education working full-time full-year), is relatively high compared to OECD and other members with available data (90.4 %, rank 3/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (25-34 year-olds without an upper secondary education working full-time full-year) are one of the highest among countries with available data. (100 %, rank 2/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (45-54 year-olds with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education working full-time full-year) are one of the highest among countries with available data. (83.8 %, rank 4/20 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (25-34 year-olds with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education working full-time full-year) are one of the highest among countries with available data. (87.2 %, rank 2/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (25-64 year-olds with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education working full-time full-year) are one of the highest among countries with available data. (84.4 %, rank 3/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (45-54 year-olds with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education working full-time full-year) are one of the highest among countries with available data. (84.9 %, rank 4/20 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (45-54 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education working full-time full-year) are one of the highest among countries with available data. (85.8 %, rank 3/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (45-54 year-olds with tertiary education working full-time full-year) are one of the highest among countries with available data. (87.6 %, rank 4/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Neither in education nor employed

    The share of inactive youth neither in formal education nor training among 18-24 year-olds in Netherlands is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (3.1 %, rank 37/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of unemployed youth neither in formal education nor training among 18-24 year-olds in Netherlands is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (5.2 %, rank 37/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training without an upper secondary in Netherlands is relatively low. (29.7 %, rank 31/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Netherlands is relatively low. (9.3 %, rank 27/30 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary in Netherlands is relatively low. (8.7 %, rank 32/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women who are inactive NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Netherlands is relatively low. (4.6 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women who are unemployed NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Netherlands is relatively low. (1.9 %, rank 34/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women who are inactive NEET (18-24 year-olds) in Netherlands is relatively low. (3.7 %, rank 36/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of men who are inactive NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Netherlands is relatively low. (3.1 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of men who are unemployed NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Netherlands is relatively low. (2.2 %, rank 34/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of inactive NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Netherlands is relatively low. (3.8 %, rank 38/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of unemployed NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Netherlands is relatively low. (2 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of youth neither employed nor in education or training among 20-24 year-olds in Netherlands is relatively small. (5.6 %, rank 37/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of youth neither employed nor in education or training among 25-29 year-olds in Netherlands is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (9 %, rank 36/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among 20-24 year-old men in Netherlands, a small share of them are neither employed nor in education or training. (5 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among 25-29 year-old men in Netherlands, a small share of them are neither employed nor in education or training. (7.8 %, rank 35/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Netherlands, the percentage of women neither employed nor in education or training among 20-24 year-olds is relatively low. (6.2 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of young women neither employed nor in education or training (25-29 year-olds) in Netherlands is comparatively low . (10.3 %, rank 35/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 18-24 year-olds who are neither employed nor in education or training is comparatively small in Netherlands. (5.2 %, rank 37/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 18-24 year-old men neither employed nor in education or training is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (4.9 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 18-24 year-old women neither employed nor in education or training is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (5.6 %, rank 37/37 , 2024) Download Indicator


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    General findings
    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Tertiary attainment among young adults has reached 48% on average across the OECD, the highest level ever, but progress has slowed since 2021. Attainment remains unequal, with women generally outpacing men, and older generations showing lower rates.
    • Employment outcomes for tertiary-educated adults remain strong overall: 87% of them are employed compared to 60% of those without upper seconday. Tertiary education offers good protection against unemployment, but women and disadvantaged groups still face labour market gaps, and inactivity persists among some adults. Moreover, adults with tertiary education earn on average 54% more than those with only upper secondary education.
    • Gender pay gaps remain significant. Despite higher attainment, women with tertiary education consistently earn less than men, even when working full-time, and this gap persists across age groups (73% on average for women aged 25 to 64).
    • Fields of study strongly influence labour market outcomes. Graduates in engineering and in health and welfare fare particularly well, while women’s participation in STEM remains below parity (14% of graduates at tertiary level) despite being 58% of all tertiary graduates.
    • Internationalisation continues to expand in tertiary education. The share of international students has grown steadily, and OECD countries host a large proportion of the world’s mobile students, reinforcing their global role in higher education.
    • Sustaining tertiary education requires adequate investment. Spending per student is already at 21 021 USD and rising, and tertiary expenditure represents a notable share of GDP (1.4% on average in OECD), making efficiency and equity crucial for long-term sustainability.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Access and Participation  | Education policies: Finance and Funding | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
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    • Although many countries have near universal upper secondary attainment among 25–34 year-olds, on average across the OECD 13% of younger adults still lack an upper secondary qualification.
    • NEET shares are now below pre-pandemic levels in about half of OECD and partner countries with trend data; in 8 of these 16 countries the decline exceeds 1 percentage point, while 17 countries exceed pre-pandemic benchmarks and 6 saw increases of more than 2 percentage points.
    • Employment rates rise steadily with higher tertiary attainment: short-cycle 83%, bachelor’s 86%, master’s 90%, and doctoral or equivalent 93% among 25–64 year-olds.
    • Earnings premiums also increase with qualification level: on average across the OECD, short-cycle graduates earn 17% more than those with upper secondary; the advantage is 39% for bachelor’s and 83% for master’s/doctoral graduates.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
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    • Most children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education, with an average participation rate of 85% across the OECD. By contrast, only 29% of children under the age of 3 are enrolled.
    • Participation in early childhood education has grown over the past decade, with enrolment for children under age 3 increasing by 9 percentage points to 29%, and enrolment for ages 3 and above rising by 5 points to 85%.
    • The majority of students in vocational upper secondary education follow programmes that grant full access to tertiary education, with 76% of students enrolled in such programmes on average across the OECD.
    • Completion rates for bachelor’s programmes increase after the theoretical duration of programmes: on average, 44% of students graduate on time, compared to 69% three years after.
    • Students from Asia form the largest regional group of internationally mobile students in tertiary education, representing 58% of all foreign or international students across the OECD in 2023.
    • Only 43% of students complete a bachelor’s degree within the expected duration, though this rises to 59% with one additional year and 70% with three additional years on average across the OECD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Access and Participation  | 
    
                            
    
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    • Governments spend on average USD 12 438 per student in primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education, and USD 15 102 per student in tertiary education including R&D.
    • Expenditure per student has risen in absolute terms since 2015, but its share in public budgets has declined, with government spending on education at almost 15% of total government expenditure on average in 2022.
    • Annual spending per student at primary and secondary levels varies widely across OECD countries, from under USD 3 000 in some systems to over USD 25 000 in the most highly funded ones.
    • Tertiary education continues to expand, placing pressure on public budgets. Private sources represent a larger share of total funding at the tertiary level than at any other level of education.
    • Spending per student differs markedly between public and private institutions, with expenditure in public tertiary institutions exceeding USD 33 000 in some countries, compared to less than USD 10 000 in others.
    
                            
    
                            
    
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    • Students in OECD countries receive an average of 7 604 hours of compulsory instruction during primary and lower secondary education, with total hours ranging widely across education systems.
    • Compulsory instruction time averages 804 hours per year for primary students and 909 hours for lower secondary students, a difference of about 105 hours annually.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in pre-primary education has fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2013 to 13 in 2023.
    • Teachers’ statutory salaries increase with the level of education taught. On average, teachers with 15 years of experience earn USD 55 725 at pre-primary level and USD 63 925 at upper secondary level.
    • Teachers’ actual salaries are 83–91% of the earnings of similarly educated tertiary-educated workers, while school heads usually earn more than tertiary-educated workers on average across OECD countries.
    • The ratio of students to academic staff is lower in public than in private institutions, averaging about 14 students per staff member in public tertiary institutions compared to 18 in private ones.
    • Nearly half of OECD and partner countries operate non-selective admission systems for first degrees, providing broad access to tertiary education, while entrance exams and centralised systems are also common.
    • The salaries of academic staff in tertiary education vary by seniority. On average, junior staff earn about 62 000 USD, while senior staff earn about 108 000 USD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Teachers | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)  | 
    
                            
    
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            Diagram of funding flows - Netherlands
            
    
            
    
        
    


        
		
    
            
    
			Click on the coverpage to see the full OECD iLibrary version
			
    
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            Country Reviews for Netherlands
            
    
            
    
			
    
        
    
		
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
    
            Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple
            most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities, 
			such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important
            areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website
            for each publication.
    
            All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html
            

    
			Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some 
			countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2026 for school year 2025/2026.
			

    
	    *TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. 
		This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages.
		Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and 
		Annex 3 
		of EAG 2024 for more details about the data collections.
            

    
            For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.