tion
hub. Industrial activity is predominantly in food processing,
chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery. A highly
mechanized agricultural sector employs no more than 3% of the labor
force but provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry
and for exports. The Netherlands, along with 11 of its EU partners,
began circulating the euro currency on 1 January 2002. The country
continues to be one of the leading European nations for attracting
foreign direct investment and is one of the five largest investors
in the US. The economy experienced a slowdown in 2005 but in 2006
recovered to the fastest pace in six years on the back of increased
exports and strong investment. The pace of job growth reached
10-year highs in 2007.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$645.5 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$768.7 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

3.5% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$39,000 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 2%
industry: 24.4%
services: 73.6% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

7.604 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 3%
industry: 21%
services: 76% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate:

4.6% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

10.5% (2005)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 22.9% (1999)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

30.9 (2005)

Investment (gross fixed):

20% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $359.5 billion
expenditures: $356.5 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

45.5% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

1.6% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

NA (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

8.72% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

NA
note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the Euro
Area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for
the 15 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual
members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi
money circulating within their own borders

Stock of quasi money:

NA (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$1.876 trillion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock

Industries:

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