Web brings billions to Dutch economy

RNW, 20 April 2011

By 2015, the internet will contribute no less than 41 billion euros to the Dutch economy. That's the conclusion of research commissioned by Google and conducted by The Boston Consulting Group. The amount could even be as high as 47 billion euros.

The growth will be mainly due to increases in the amount of goods and services bought online, as well as the money spent on internet access and necessary hardware.

Consumption

In 2009, the internet contributed 24.3 billion euros to the Dutch economy. Half of the internet economy consisted of online purchases; the remainder was made up of investments by telecom companies (about 7 billion), government spending (4.6 billion) and exports of internet goods and services (500 million).

According to the study, small and medium-sized businesses that are active on the internet saw their turnover grow by an average 3 percent in recent years. Their counterparts with no online presence realised no growth in that period.

Opportunities missed

The Boston Consulting Group says Dutch businesses are missing out on opportunities: “The Netherlands is among those countries which have most eagerly embraced the internet. However, despite the fact that almost everyone has an internet connection, online purchasing, marketing and selling among businesses remains relatively limited.”

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