1. The Netherlands is the most physically active European country
The Netherlands scores the highest number of points in a study of health and happiness.
According to Euro Barometer, more than 56% of the Dutch people exercise every week. This is a lot more than other European countries which score an average of 40% of people who workout weekly
2. 35.000km of fietspaden (bicycle path)
The Netherlands is a flat country that lies for 55% below sea level. Because of the flat landscape, the bicycle is used a lot.
Dutch people bike around 15 billion kilometres per year. That is more than 880 kilometres per person, divided over approximately 250 to 300 bike rides. This means that the bicycle is responsible for almost a quarter of total transportation.
3. The Dutch national anthem is the oldest in the world
The national anthem of the Netherlands called Wilhelmus is the oldest national anthem in the world. Although it became the official national anthem in 1932. The melody and lyrics of the Dutch national anthem are 400 years old.
4. The Dutch invented the first stock market in the world
This is an astonishing fact about the Netherlands! Amazing, the first stock market in the world was invented in the Netherlands in the year 1602. This stock- market was created to support the former Dutch Indies. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, better known as AEX was also created in the year 1602.
5. Migrants in numbers
The Netherlands is currently growing slowly at a rate of 0.22% per year. This rate of growth expressed in figures is 37,742 people over the year 2019/2020.
The Netherlands has a fixed guideline of 16,000 migrants per year with a birth rate of 1.66 births.
- 19.4% of the immigrants had a migration background from Asia.
- In 2019, 80.6% of the immigrants had a Polish migration background. That percentage expressed in numbers is 27,215 people.
6. Dutch people are the world’s tallest
Dutch men have an average length of 184 cm which makes them the tallest men in the world. The average length of Dutch women is 171 cm making them the number 2 on the global ranking of tallest women in the world.
Top 5. Countries with the tallest populations
Length in average
1. The Netherlands – 175.62cm (5.79 feet)
2. Latvia – 175.61cm (5.96 feet)
3. Estonia – 175.13cm (5.94 feet)
4. Denmark – 174.29cm (5.86 feet)
5. Czech Rebublic – 174.28cm (5.86 feet)
7. Almost the entire city of Amsterdam is built on wooden poles
You may think it is a joke, but no it isn’t!
A few buildings in the old city centre Amsterdam are built on wooden poles to ensure that the monumental city centre sinks into the soft soil.
A total of 13,659 wooden poles were used to stabilise the Royal Palace at Dam Square
