Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Netherlands instead of Spain, you would:
Health
see 66.1% more spent on your healthcare
Spain spends $4,935 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Netherlands spends $8,195 as of 2024.
live 1.9 years less
In Spain, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Netherlands, that number is 82 years (81 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.
be 31.9% more likely to die by suicide
Spain has a suicide rate of 8.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Netherlands, it is 11.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 62.7% less likely to be unemployed
In Spain, 10.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Netherlands, that number is 3.9% as of 2025.
be 28.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Spain, 20.2% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Netherlands, however, that number is 14.5% as of 2021.
make 90.8% more money
Spain has a GDP per capita of $38,627 as of 2025, while in Netherlands, the GDP per capita is $73,684 as of 2025.
Life
have 41.5% more children
In Spain, there are approximately 6.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Netherlands, there are 9.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 33.3% more likely to die during childbirth
In Spain, approximately 3.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Netherlands, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 30.8% more likely to die during infancy
In Spain, approximately 2.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Netherlands, on the other hand, 3.4 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 12.9% more on education
Spain spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Netherlands spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
Geography
see 90.9% less coastline
Spain has a total of 4,964 km of coastline. In Netherlands, that number is 451 km.
Infrastructure
live with 61.5% less strain on fresh water
Spain withdraws 43% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Netherlands withdraws 17% as of 2022.
use 22.9% more electricity
Spain uses 5,196 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Netherlands uses 6,386 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 30.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Spain, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Netherlands, it causes 13.0 as of 2019.
emit 46.3% more CO2
Spain emits 4.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Netherlands emits 6.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this
Compare further: Spain vs. Netherlands
Netherlands: At a glance
How big is Netherlands compared to Spain? See an in-depth size comparison.