Introduction

This report presents a comprehensive analysis of Dutch sovereignty using the methodology of the Burke Institute. Sovereignty is assessed in 7 areas: political, economic, technological, informational, cultural, cognitive and military. Each aspect is assessed on the basis of official data from international and national sources (UN, World Bank, UNESCO, IMF, ITU, FAO, SIPRI, PISA, etc.) without using politicized indexes. The maximum score in each direction is 100; the sum (up to 700) is the accumulated Sovereignty Index (Burke Index).

To adapt and adjust statistical parameters, an international expert survey was conducted for each of the seven components using a single questionnaire of 10 questions with a 10-point scale and one open-ended question.

In total, at least 100 experts from 50+ countries were interviewed for each indicator, taking into account geographical representation and specialization. When calculating and analyzing the data, equalizing coefficients were used, bringing all data to a scale of 0-10 points.

The final index value is the arithmetic mean between statistical data and expert estimates.

Below is an analysis in each area, a summary table and the main conclusions about the peculiarities of Dutch sovereignty.

Political sovereignty — 81.2

The Netherlands is an active member of the EU, NATO, OECD, WTO, UN, Council of Europe, Benelux, IMF, World Bank. Large headquarters of international organizations are permanently located in the country — the International Criminal Court, Europol, Eurojust, OPCW, as well as part of the UN and EU missions. In 2025, the Netherlands is representing its interests through permanent missions in Geneva and New York.

As a member of the EU and the ECHR, the State adheres to the principle of the supremacy of EU law. The decisions of the European Court of Justice are binding and may prevail over domestic laws. The constitutional courts of the Netherlands consider such norms to be compatible with the Constitution, subject to compliance with international treaties.

The political system is stable, based on a parliamentary monarchy. Coalition Governments are formed on a consensual basis, and there is no political violence. The level of corruption perception is one of the lowest in the world.

The Government Effectiveness index is 1.63, the percentage rank is ~96%, which puts the country in the top 5 of Europe. The quality of public services, the independence of the bureaucracy and the effectiveness of politics are recognized as among the best in the world. According to the UN Index (2024) The Netherlands is part of TOP 10 of the global e-Government Development Index rating (value ≈ 0.954).

The integrated system of public online services DigiD and MijnOverheid covers the entire range of public services — taxes, social insurance, licensing, judicial procedures. Trust in the government and the national institutions ~58%, which is significantly higher than the EU average (43%). The monarchy enjoys a symbolic and positive perception; the level of public satisfaction with public services exceeds 80%.

The national armed forces are integrated with NATO. The country hosts military facilities and NATO headquarters, as well as American units and nuclear storage infrastructure under the Nuclear Sharing program (Volkel, Brabant).

This is an international deployment, but the bases are under joint control. The Netherlands is the center of international justice: the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, TPIY, OPCW and Eurojust. Actively supports the jurisdiction and enforcement of the decisions of these bodies.

Decentralization is moderate: the kingdom is divided into 12 provinces and 350+ municipalities with broad competence in the budgetary and social sphere. The central government forms foreign, defense, and financial policies, but local authorities have significant powers.

Intelligence activities (AIVD and MIVD) it is controlled by the CTIVD Parliamentary Commission and The Accounting Chamber. The Law "On Special Services" (Wet op de inlichtingen en veiligheidsdiensten 2017, amendments 2023) restricts electronic surveillance and establishes judicial supervision. GDPR and the Act on Data Protection guarantee a high level of personal data rights.

Data completeness assessment: the main indicators are available from international sources, the coverage is 98%.

Economic sovereignty — 89.4

GDP (PPP) per capita is $70,902 according to the World Bank (2024), projected to rise to $71,682 by the end of 2025. This puts the Netherlands in 13th to 14th place in the world and in the top group of developed European economies. Gold reserves: $55.26 billion (January 2025) — a record high, 4th place in the EU after Germany, Italy and France. Foreign exchange reserves: about $15 billion in currencies and securities.

The general international reserves are managed by De Nederlandsche Bank (the Dutch central bank). Public debt amounts to 43.7% of GDP (2024), which is significantly lower than the EU average (88%). The forecast for 2025 is 45.8% of GDP. This is one of the lowest rates among major European economies.

The Netherlands is the 2nd largest food exporter in the world (after the United States), despite its small territory. High-tech agriculture ensures self-sufficiency and exports. The Food security Index is one of the highest globally. The country has large reserves of natural gas (the Groningen field), but production is declining due to environmental restrictions.

The share of renewable energy is about 15%, energy imports account for ~70% of consumption (gas from Norway, Russia, oil from various sources). Main resources: natural gas (~500 billion m3), oil (limited reserves), salt, building materials.

The Groningen field is one of the largest in Europe, but development has been suspended until 2030. Sufficient fresh water reserves due to precipitation and river systems (Rhine, Meuse). A well-developed water resources management system through Water Boards. Water consumption is covered by internal sources.

Integrated system: iDEAL (national online payment system, >75% of the e-commerce market), SEPA for euro transfers, Maestro/V Pay for card transactions. Central processing via Equens and European systems. The national currency is the euro, and the share in settlements is 100% for domestic transactions. The monetary policy is determined by the European Central Bank, there is no independent issue.

De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) performs the functions of the national central bank within the Eurosystem. The issue decisions and the key rate are determined by the ECB in Frankfurt. DNB carries out banking supervision, analysis and implementation of the EU common monetary policy. The Netherlands has significant offshore wind farms (one of the largest in the world), a developed geothermal energy and biogas industry.

The transition to carbon neutrality is planned by 2050. The budget deficit in the first half of 2025 amounted to 3 billion euros (~0.3% of GDP), which is within the framework of the EU Stability and Growth Pact. Fiscal policy is focused on sustainability and compliance with European standards.

Data completeness assessment: the main macroeconomic indicators are available from official sources (World Bank, IMF), coverage is 91%

Technological sovereignty — 87.3

R&D expenditures (% of GDP) 2.23% of GDP (2023, CBS; 2024 — 2.26%, WB). The amount of annual investments exceeds 23.7 billion euros, most of them in the business sector.

There is no policy of direct import substitution: the country is an exporter and integrator of high technologies (high-tech exports — $111 billion, 24.5% of the manufacturing industry).

The government focuses on development through participation in global supply chains (ASML is the world leader in lithographic machines, Philips — medical equipment, NXP — chips). Bachelor's and master's degrees are covered by 35-38% of the population aged 25-64 years, young (25-34) — 53%.

There are many international students (~14%). 99% of the population is connected to the Internet (18.1 million users per 18.3 million inhabitants). Average speed: fixed Internet — 197 Mbit/s, mobile — 147 Mbit/s.

Key services:

• DigiD (Unified Electronic identification),

• MijnOverheid (unified portal of public services),

• Logius (IT-digital services operator),

• iShare, NL Digitaal (cloud solutions), as well as national platforms for transportation and fiscal services. In the hardware field, the country is partially dependent on foreign supplies of basic components, but the main high-tech products (chips, lithographic equipment, optics) are manufactured locally (ASML, NXP, Philips) and then exported.

In 2025, more than 95% of administrative services are available online, the Digital Decade strategy (“Nederlandse Digitaliseringsstrategie”) has been implemented, priority is clouds, independence from BigTech, federated ID and trust infrastructure (trust framework, data sovereignty).

Powerful biotech cluster: DSM Biotech, Galapagos NV, Wageningen UR. EU leaders in biopharma, green chemistry, and agrobio. The equipment is partially imported, and the research is carried out internationally. Significant: industrial and logistics robots — over 260 per 10,000 workers (one of the highest rates in Europe).

The leaders are Philips, ASML, VDL, Demcon, and technical universities.

The Netherlands is one of the three global leaders in microelectronics and chip innovation:

• production of EUV/DUV lithographic systems (ASML),

• design and manufacture of smart chips (NXP),

• Semiconductor pipeline R&D (IMEC-NL, TNO). The import of basic materials remains, but the local chain is the global standard.

Data completeness assessment: key indicators are obtained from WIPO, ITU, UNESCO, which ensures 97% coverage.

Information sovereignty — 82.1

Cybersecurity (CERT/ITU) National Cyber Center — NCSC.nl (Netherlands National Cyber Security Centre); there is also a sector CERT for critical infrastructure. In the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index (2024-2025), the Netherlands is in the TOP 10, Tier 1 category (>95 points).

The regulator is the Radio Telecommunications Agency (AT), the Information Protection Act and NIS2 are in force. The system is built around AMS-IX, one of the largest and oldest Internet exchange offices in the world (>900 participants, peak download of 11 Tbps), as well as NL-ix and Speed-IX. >25 IXPs are active; IXP infrastructure is recognized as critical by the national system. The national language is Dutch.

The leading media (NPO, NOS, NRC, De Volkskrant, RTL Nieuws) are published in Dutch; national. radio broadcasting, TV channels, news portals, publicly available resources and a significant part of the Internet content are also on it. From 2024/25, the share of Dutch in universities has been increased.

The Digital Decade strategy and EU laws (DMA/DGA/GDPR) ensure the priority of local control: national clouds (NL GovCloud), own federated-ID, the public sector uses certified national solutions; civil and administrative data is stored locally.

By 2024, more than 70% of the media content on the air and online is created by Dutch studios, editorial offices, broadcasters (NPO, RTL, SBS, De Telegraaf). Quotas for local content are respected.

The largest ecosystems in the EU BY:

• ASML (lithographic systems),

• Exact (Fintech),

• Adyen (payment solutions),

• Mollie,

• iDEAL (payment processing),

• NXP (embedded/chips),

• Large-scale e-gov solutions (Logius, DigiD, MijnOverheid).

Coverage is >97% of the population (public services, taxes, licenses, finance, social sphere — online), the digital equality strategy is implemented within the Dutch Digitalization Strategy. NL GovCloud and regional gov-cloud solutions (private/hybrid); all critical government data and civil registries are stored in certified national centers, under the supervision of regulators.

The largest operators — KPN, VodafoneZiggo, T-Mobile NL — operate under Dutch licenses, and the infrastructure is owned by national companies. the company. Outgoing traffic and roaming are integrated with the EU, and infrastructure centers are under Dutch jurisdiction.

The EU GDPR is in effect; the national controller is Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP). All data processing is subject to strict EU and NL laws, including the Act on Data Protection, Wet bescherming persoonsgegevens.

Data completeness assessment: infrastructure indicators are available from ITU, CIRA, OECD and specialized sources, coverage is 94%.

Cultural sovereignty — 87.1

There are 13 UNESCO sites in the Netherlands in 2025 (12 in the country, 1 in the Kingdom — Willemstad, Curaçao).

The main ones are below:

• Amsterdam's Canals

• Kinderdijk Windmills

• Wadden Sea

• Eising Planetarium

• Schokland, Beemster, Rietveld Schröderhuis, Van Nellefabriek, Water Defence Lines, D.F. Wouda Pumping Station, Colonies of Benevolence, Lower German Limes.

The share of culture and media in GDP is 3.3% (CBS 2022; similar values in 2025). Contributions include painting (Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Vermeer), design, architecture, cinema, photography, contemporary art, theater schools, museums (the Rijksmuseum is the world's largest museum of Dutch art).

National Awards in Art and culture • Johannes Vermeer Award — state award (€100,000, annually).

NN Art Award — annually at Art Rotterdam (€10,000, support for young artists).

• Amsterdam Art Prize, Evi Lichting, as well as thematic prizes for visual, musical, architectural and theatrical groups.

The core is the Dutch language, liberal culture, Protestant roots, "Protected Land" (the concept of developing drained fields), mass support for art, city festivals, King's Day, Pink Monday, flower festival, cultural code of tolerance and cooperation.

The Netherlands is a multinational society (officially, the state supports immigrant cultural centers, finances integration and education). Special programs for Frisian, Lemmerland and immigrant language groups (Frisian is the second official language in the province of Friesland); support for outsourcing cultures within the framework of integration policy.

There are more than 900 major museums in the country, tens of thousands of monuments and architectural objects; the key ones are the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Mauritshuis, Stedelijk, Museum Boijmans, Frans Hols Museum, Museum of Modern Art in Groningen, theaters and libraries.

The Netherlands is an active participant in Creative Europe projects, the EU Prize for Literature, the European Capital of Culture (2028 — Leiden), a key organizer of the Biennale of contemporary art, architectural and design forums, music and scientific festivals.

National brands (Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh, Kinderdijk, Amsterdam Fashion Week, Dutch Design Week) are protected by the state through the Netherlands Heritage Agency, marketing platforms and a program for the supervision of promising sites (Werelderfgoed.nl).

The cuisine includes traditional dishes (haring, stamppot, poffertjes, erwtensoep), Dutch cheeses, pastries, seafood, international dishes due to migration; a well-developed restaurant chain (more than 100 Michelin and Gault Millau), international gastronomy.

86.9% of the population aged 16-29 and ~82% of all adults regularly visit museums, cultural events, movies, concerts, participate in clubs or voluntary cultural support (VTO/CBS, Eurostat, 2022-2025) — one of the highest rates in the EU.

Data completeness assessment: basic indicators are available in UNESCO and national statistics, coverage is 97%.

Cognitive sovereignty — 89.8

The Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.955 (2023, the maximum according to historical data; forecast for 2025 is 0.956). The country is consistently ranked in the top 10 in the world by this indicator. 5.05% of GDP (2022, World Bank/CBS/OECD; above the EU average).

Almost a quarter of the budget for educational programs is for higher and applied education. Literacy is 99-100% (CBS, OECD).

All residents have compulsory secondary education (from the age of 5), coverage is 99%. PISA 2022:

• Mathematics — 493 (OECD average — 472)

• Reading — 459 (OECD — 476)

• Natural Sciences — 488 (OECD — 485) 15% of high school students showed TOP results (level 5 and 6 in mathematics). STEM-shares: 28-31% of all graduates of universities and applied universities (TU Delft, Eindhoven, Twente, Groningen; focus — IT, engineering, mathematics, natural sciences).

More than 30% of master's degree programs are offered in English, 14% of international students among all students. TU Delft, Leiden, Erasmus Rotterdam, and Maastricht universities are the leaders in the number of English-speaking and joint double degrees.

The official languages are Dutch and Frisian (in Friesland). 2025: political support for small language groups (Frisian, Lemmerland, Papiamento, English in Aruba), financing of cultural programs and language education. More than 30 national research institutes and centers (NWO, TNO, CWI, KNMI, Deltares, university institutes).

The largest academic research network in the EU. Over 80% of education is covered by national digital platforms: SURF (cloud infrastructure for universities), Edugroepen, DUO, Studielink — completely national development and management.

There are dozens of government programs (NWO Talent Program, Holland Scholarship, Nuffic, Innovativevouchers, Erasmus+, Techleap) that finance internships, scientific exchanges, startup support, participation in Olympiads and accelerators; in total, more than 100,000 students and young scientists annually go through support programs.

Data completeness assessment: education indicators are available in the UNDP, UNESCO, OECD, coverage is 98%.

Military sovereignty — 57.4

In 2025, the country will reach 2.2% of GDP in terms of actual military spending (NATO/SIPRI, €19.9 billion). By the end of the year, a growth trajectory of up to 3.5% has been agreed (discussed at the NATO summit in The Hague, the final decision is for the next cabinet).

As of September 2025:

• the total number of employees in the Ministry of Defense is ~79,300 (44,245 are professional military personnel, 8,510 are reservists, and 26,568 are civilian employees).

• By 2030, it is planned to increase to 200,000 (together with reservists and contract soldiers). The weapons fully comply with NATO standards:

• The latest F-35 fighter jets (26 units, by 2027-52),

• CV90, Boxer, Leopard-2 armored vehicles,

• NH90 helicopters, combat drones, Patriot systems, communication satellites (part of Eurospace),

• Extensive cyberpower infrastructure. Most of the weapons are purchased from NATO partners (USA, Germany, France, Israel). There are few own production lines (Damen Shipyards, Thales NL), local products — ships, armored vehicles, IT, communications; the share of the national is up to 15%.

Borders are controlled jointly:

• Border Control Service (Koninklijke Marechaussee),

• customs, police,

• airspace and nuclear facilities are controlled jointly with NATO and the European Union,

• The maritime border is protected by the Navy. The reserve is ~8,500 people (2025), possibly increasing to 30,000 by 2030. The structure provides for contract soldiers and volunteer reservists.

The policy is fully synchronized with NATO and the EU. Its own autonomy is limited by the alliance's obligations; some decisions are strategically coordinated at the level of the NATO command (JFC Brunssum structure, Warsaw headquarters, Mons).

Military production is developing in shipbuilding (Damen, Royal IHC), electronics (Thales Netherlands), robotics, cybersecurity, IT and parts of the radar defense industry. The share is up to 15% of the equipment.

The country does not have its own nuclear weapons, but as part of the NATO Nuclear Sharing program, 18 American B61 tactical nuclear weapons are stationed at the Volkel airbase (it is not officially confirmed, but SIPRI/ICAN and the press record the presence).

There is no own reconnaissance satellite group, the country participates in European and NATO space projects (Eurospace, Galileo, IRIS2), receives information through Cyberspace Command and StratCom.

The National Military Intelligence Center, MIVD, operates in cooperation with the EU/NATO intelligence networks. All parameters are reflected in the annual reports of SIPRI, UNODA, the Ministry of Defense, the official portals of state-owned companies (Embraer, IMBEL) and industry databases of UN/NGO – 97% coverage

Final Summary Table

The main conclusions

Strengths. Economic sustainability and macro-financial balance. GDP per capita exceeds $70,000 (PPP), the lowest public debt among developed countries (about 45% of GDP), the largest exporter of food in Europe, record gold and foreign exchange reserves, and Europe's developed transport and logistics hub (Rotterdam and Schiphol). Innovative power and technological autonomy.

The EU leader in the share of high-tech exports (ASML, NXP, Philips), digitalization covers 99% of the population, a strong cluster of robotics and microelectronics, 2.2% of GDP in R&D, unique national digital platforms (DigiD, MijnOverheid, iDEAL).

The highest human capital and social security. HDI — 0.955 (top 10 globally), education spending 5% of GDP, literacy 99%, the highest results in STEM and PISA-2022 in the EU (mathematics and sciences — above the OECD average), wide coverage of foreign educational programs.

Cultural and identity stability. 13 UNESCO sites, >900 museums, 87% of the population participate in cultural life, recognition of cultural and culinary brands on a global level, support for minorities and small nations.

Cyber resilience and advanced digital infrastructure. The Netherlands is in the top 10 on the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index, AMS-IX is the largest IXP in Europe, the national cloud platforms, strict personal data regime (GDPR, Wet bescherming persoonsgegevens). Modern armed forces and the military-industrial complex.

Integration with NATO, modern equipment (F-35, Patriot, cybercontent), access to nuclear weapons as part of nuclear sharing, a rapidly increasing reserve and an expanding range of defense programs. Weaknesses. Energy vulnerability and partial resource dependence.

About 70% of energy is imported, there is a decrease in domestic gas production, and high dependence on external energy markets, despite the rapid growth in the share of renewable energy sources.

High cost of living and housing, uneven availability of real estate. Amsterdam and Rotterdam are European leaders in rising housing prices and high utility bills; this is a risk factor for social and territorial stratification. Demographic challenges and labor shortages. Population aging, migration burden, shortage of IT and engineering specialists, competition for personnel in the global market.

Restrictions on sovereign maneuver within the EU/NATO. Monetary, emission, and strategic defense policies are delegated to Brussels and the alliance; key decisions are made taking into account supranational structures. Partial technological and biotechnological dependence.

Import dependence remains in critical areas (pharma, biotech, basic materials for chips, parts of weapons), although there is maximum autonomy in the microelectronics and agro-bio sectors.

Overall assessment. The cumulative sovereignty Index of the Netherlands is 574.3 out of 700 points (High — 82%), which places the country in the top 50 in the global top.

The Netherlands is a country with the maximum advantages of a developed Northern European state: economic strength, innovative leadership, social and cultural sustainability, an example of digital maturity and integration into global chains.

The restrictions are related to the resource and energy balance, demography, and the delegation of parts of sovereignty to supranational blocs (EU, NATO). This profile allows you to maintain internal stability with a high degree of external adaptability and openness.

The sovereignty profile indicates that in 2025 the Netherlands is one of the most sovereignly effective and governed European powers: internal sovereignty is as high as possible (economy, innovation, social and digital spheres), while external sovereignty is based on a model of cooperative dependence within the EU and NATO.

This model combines economic and technological self-sufficiency, social inclusivity, digital inclusivity, and global engagement - an example of the "new European sovereignty of the 21st century."