Industry & productive economy

Part I — the engine

What it shows

Whether the Netherlands still makes things, and how efficiently. Industry's share of value added, its output, jobs and hours, investment in fixed capital, business R&D, and the productivity growth that ultimately funds everything else — productivity gains have slowed across the OECD since ~2005, and NL is no exception.

What it cannot prove

Whether de-industrialisation is decline or healthy specialisation — a falling industry share can mean offshoring, or a services economy playing to its strengths. Nor can it isolate any single cause (energy costs, regulation, labour supply, world demand) for output moves.

Compare

pick a window — every card then leads with its change

A1Industry share of value added

A11Exports of Dutch product