Netherlands SMEs 2023, by size

Data on the number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Netherlands from 2008 to 2023, by size, shows that micro-sized enterprises that employ up to nine people made up the majority of SMEs in the Netherlands with over 1.39 million of them in 2023.

SMEs play an important part in the Dutch economy

Dutch SMEs were responsible for an added value of roughly 240.1 billion euros in 2018, a higher amount than in Belgium and Luxembourg. The companies also employed more people that other business segments, as SMEs in the Netherlands accounted for roughly 3.8 million employees.

Most SMEs to be found in retail

According to survey results from April 2018, the most common SME sectors in the Netherlands consisted of retail or wholesale, media, arts and personal services. In the most recent quarter, however, bankruptcies in the hotel, restaurant and catering industry (often referred to as horeca in the Netherlands), saw an increase. As of the third quarter of 2019, there were approximately 60 bankruptcies in this industry.

Number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Netherlands from 2008 to 2023, by size

Characteristic	Micro (0-9 employees)	Small (10-49 employees)	Medium-sized (50-249 employees)
2023	1,391,030	49,133	10,021
2022	1,378,718	48,743	9,954
2021	1,323,731	44,992	9,505
2020	1,297,533	44,006	9,365
2019	1,230,360	43,151	9,197
2018	1,160,536	42,272	8,905
2017	1,098,916	40,986	8,600
2016	1,074,699	40,160	8,445
2015	1,033,096	39,835	8,220
2014	995,573	40,034	8,159
2013	968,535	41,620	8,373
2012	802,950	42,099	8,434
2011	751,875	42,092	8,410
2010	727,802	40,109	8,404
2009	557,490	49,561	9,190
2008	521,911	46,409	7,966

Loading statistic...

Download

Source

Show detailed source information?

Already a member?

Sources

Use Ask Statista Research Service

Release date

June 2023

More information

Region

Netherlands

Survey time period

2008 to 2023

Supplementary notes

The source adds the following information:
The data cover the 'non-financial business economy', which includes industry, construction, trade, and services (NACE Rev. 2 sections B to J, L, M and N), but not enterprises in agriculture, forestry and fisheries and the largely non-market service sectors such as education and health. The following size-class definitions are applied: micro firms (0-9 persons employed), small firms (10-49 persons employed), medium-sized firms (50-249 persons employed), and large firms (250+ persons employed). The advantage of using Eurostat data is that the statistics are harmonised and comparable across countries. The disadvantage is that for some countries the data may be different from those published by national authorities.

Citation formats