Updated February 2026

Business & Digitalization Statistics 2026

100+ statistics on digitalization of Dutch SMEs. With data from CBS, KVK, Thuiswinkel.org, Eurostat and 35+ other sources.

100+ Statistics 12 Categories 35+ Sources
1

SME Digitalization

Dutch SMEs are digitalizing, but the pace is “too slow” according to Minister Beljaarts to maintain our competitive position. These are the latest CBS figures.

81.5%
of SMEs have at least a basic level of digitalization
Up from 75% in 2021. The EU target for 2030 is 95%. While the growth is positive, the pace needs to increase to meet the target.
Source: Rijksoverheid / Monitor Digital Economy 2024
1.6 mln
SME businesses in the business economy
At the beginning of 2025, the Netherlands had over 1.6 million SME businesses. Nearly 81% of these are sole proprietors.
Source: CBS — State of SMEs 2025
82%
of employees regularly use a computer with internet access
At companies with 10 or more employees. This percentage remained unchanged compared to 2023.
Source: CBS — Digitalization and Knowledge Economy 2024
85%
of businesses provide mobile internet to staff
Laptops, tablets or smartphones with mobile internet are widely provided. In 2014 this was only 66%.
Source: CBS — ICT Usage by Businesses 2024
85%
of businesses support remote work
In 2004, only 26% of businesses offered remote work options. Due to the pandemic and its aftermath, this has structurally risen to 85%.
Source: CBS — Digitalization and Knowledge Economy 2024
61%
of employees regularly work outside the office
And have access to the company’s ICT system from there. This was 50% in 2021.
Source: CBS — ICT Usage by Businesses 2024
45%
of businesses were innovative in 2020-2022
Of the innovative businesses, 93% successfully completed their innovations. Innovation and digitalization go hand in hand.
Source: CBS — D&K 2024 Summary
99%
of connections have access to high-speed broadband
The Netherlands has one of the best broadband infrastructures in Europe, with 99% coverage of at least 1 Gbit/s via cable or fiber optic.
Source: Rijksoverheid — Monitor Digital Economy 2024
2

Business Climate in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has more than 2.5 million business establishments, but the landscape is changing rapidly: fewer startups, more closures, and a growing preference for the BV (private limited company) form.

2,588,747
business establishments registered with the KVK
As of June 30, 2025. An increase of only 1.2% compared to Q2 2024 — the lowest growth rate in ten years.
Source: KVK Trend Report Q2 2025
253,823
new business establishments in 2024
A decline of 8% compared to 2023 (277,188 startups). It is the first time since 2014 that the number of startups has declined.
Source: KVK — Business Dynamics 2024
163,878
business closures in 2024
An increase of 11% compared to 2023 (147,482 closures). The combination of fewer startups and more closures is suppressing business growth.
Source: KVK — Business Dynamics 2024
60,448
startups in Q1 2025
A decline of 17% compared to Q1 2024 — the steepest decline in 10 years. At the same time, the number of closures rose to 60,964 (+37%).
Source: KVK Trend Report Q1 2025
+37%
increase in business closures in Q1 2025
From 44,590 closures in Q1 2024 to 60,964 in Q1 2025. The steepest increase in business closures in ten years.
Source: KVK Trend Report Q1 2025
~81%
of SMEs consist of sole proprietors
The vast majority of Dutch SMEs are one-person businesses. Sole proprietors form the backbone of the entrepreneurial landscape.
Source: CBS — State of SMEs 2025
BV increasingly popular
Starting entrepreneurs are increasingly choosing a private limited company
The KVK Trend Report Q2 2025 shows that the BV (private limited company) form is gaining popularity among new entrepreneurs, partly due to changing tax rules and the need for more professional business structures.
Source: KVK Trend Report Q2 2025
3

AI Adoption by Dutch Businesses

Artificial intelligence usage has nearly doubled among Dutch businesses in just one year. The CBS AI Monitor 2024 reveals a remarkable acceleration.

23%
of businesses (10+ employees) use AI
In 2024, 22.7% of businesses with 10 or more employees used one or more AI technologies — an increase of nearly 9 percentage points compared to 2023 (14%).
Source: CBS — AI Monitor 2024
13% → 23%
SME AI adoption doubled in one year
Specifically for SMEs, AI adoption rose from 13% to 23%, a growth largely driven by generative AI tools such as ChatGPT.
Source: Rijksoverheid — SME Digitalization 2024
51%
of total business revenue comes from AI-using companies
Businesses that use AI technology were responsible for more than half of the total revenue of Dutch businesses in 2024.
Source: CBS — AI Monitor 2024
36%
of AI users deploy it for marketing & sales
Marketing and sales is the most common application area, followed by administrative processes (30%).
Source: CBS — AI Monitor 2024
14%
of businesses use text mining
Text mining is the most widely used AI technology, followed by natural language generation (12%). Both have grown significantly due to the rise of large language models.
Source: CBS — D&K 2024
58%
AI adoption in the ICT sector
The ICT sector leads by far, followed by business services (40%) and the financial sector (37%).
Source: CBS — ICT Usage by Businesses 2024
75%
cite ‘lack of experience’ as reason to forgo AI
Among businesses that considered AI but did not implement it, lack of experience was by far the most important reason.
Source: CBS — AI Monitor 2024
20%
of EU businesses use AI (EU average)
In 2025, 20% of EU businesses with 10+ employees used AI — a growth of 6.5 percentage points compared to 2024. The Netherlands scores above the EU average.
Source: Eurostat — AI in EU enterprises 2025
4

Online Visibility

From Google Business Profile to .nl domain names: this is how visible Dutch businesses are online. The competition for digital visibility is increasingly fierce.

75%
of businesses have a website
In 2024, 75% of businesses with 2 or more employees had a website — unchanged from the previous year.
Source: CBS — ICT Usage by Businesses 2024
6.06 mln
.nl domain names registered
At the end of 2025 there were over 6.06 million .nl domain names, a decline of 1.92%. The number of cancellations (812,000) exceeded new registrations (758,000).
Source: SIDN — .nl domain in 2025
83%
Google market share in search queries
Google dominates the Dutch search market with approximately 83% market share, making a Google Business Profile essential for local findability.
Source: HelloSEO — Local SEO for SMEs 2025
+42%
more direction requests with a complete Google profile
Business profiles with recent photos receive 42% more direction requests. A fully completed profile demonstrably outperforms an empty profile.
Source: Places.nl — Google Business Profile
68%
average internet standards score for business websites
The average score for the application of internet standards on business websites has risen from 60.4% in 2020 to 68.0% in 2025.
Source: CBS — Internet Standards for Websites 2024
213,000
new .nl domain names in Q1 2025
Despite the overall contraction, thousands of new domain names are still being registered each quarter, showing ongoing entrepreneurial dynamics.
Source: SIDN — H1 2025
5

E-commerce in the Netherlands

The Dutch e-commerce market continues to grow to record heights. With more than 100,000 webshops and €36 billion in online spending, the Netherlands is one of the most mature markets in Europe.

€36 bln
spent online by Dutch consumers in 2024
A growth of 5% compared to 2023. Online spending is higher than ever.
Source: Thuiswinkel.org / NielsenIQ — Market Monitor 2024
100,000
webshops active in the Netherlands
The Netherlands reaches the milestone of 100,000 businesses with e-commerce as their main activity. Around 700 new webshops still launch monthly.
Source: Ecommerce News NL / CBS Quarterly Figures
81%
of Dutch consumers buy online
In the first half of 2024, 81% of Dutch consumers purchased something online — a European record according to CBS.
Source: Ecommerce News NL / CBS
28%
of businesses have electronic sales
Via website, app or EDI (Electronic Data Interchange). This percentage has remained relatively stable since 2013. Retail scores highest at 55%.
Source: CBS — D&K 2024
39%
of online purchases via smartphone
The share of mobile shopping continues to grow. Nearly 4 out of 10 online purchases are now made via smartphone.
Source: Thuiswinkel.org — Market Monitor Q1 2025
+46%
growth in online spending on Home & Living
The Home & Living category was the strongest grower, with a 46% increase in online spending, driven by kitchenware and household textiles.
Source: Thuiswinkel.org — Market Monitor 2025
€9 bln+
spent online in Q1 2025
Dutch consumers spent over 9 billion euros online in the first quarter of 2025, a growth of 4% compared to Q1 2024.
Source: Thuiswinkel.org — Market Monitor 2025
+8%
growth in online product spending in 2025
Growth comes mainly from products (+8%), while services actually showed a 2% decline. This is the first time since the coronavirus pandemic that products have grown this strongly again.
Source: Thuiswinkel.org — Market Monitor 2025
6

Website Ownership & Costs

A quarter of Dutch businesses still have no website. For those who do have one built, costs add up quickly — unless you choose AI-driven alternatives.

25%
of businesses (2+ employees) have no website
In 2024, 75% of businesses had a website. That means one in four businesses still operates without their own website.
Source: CBS — ICT Usage by Businesses 2024
€299 – €750
cost of a basic website for starters and freelancers
For a simple website of up to 3 pages with responsive design and basic SEO. Suitable for those just starting out.
Source: Inesta — Website Costs 2025
€1,250 – €3,500
cost of a professional business website
The average price for a complete business website by a web design agency. Custom work or extensive functionality quickly costs €6,000+.
Source: Agency 6 — Website Costs 2025
€5,000 – €55,000
cost of an e-commerce website
A full webshop including product management, payment integration and inventory system quickly costs thousands of euros.
Source: Innovonk — Price Guide 2025
€50 – €125
hourly rate of a web design agency
The average hourly rate of a Dutch web design agency. Freelancers charge similar rates, depending on experience.
Source: VHBP — Website Pricing
€10 – €100/mo
website maintenance costs
In addition to one-time build costs, you need to account for monthly costs for hosting, updates, security and maintenance.
Source: OnlineLabs — Website Costs 2026
7

Digital Skills

The Netherlands is the European leader in digital skills, but for SMEs the skills gap remains a challenge. Employers are increasingly looking for employees with digital competencies.

83%
of Dutch people have basic digital skills
83% of 16- to 75-year-olds have at least basic digital skills. This makes the Netherlands the leader in the European Union.
Source: CBS / Eurostat — Digital Skills 2023
88%
have above-basic skills (information & data)
In the area of information and digital literacy, 88% of people aged 12+ had above-average skills.
Source: CBS — Digital Skills 2023
No. 1 in EU
The Netherlands is European leader in digital skills
According to CBS and Eurostat, the Netherlands has consistently been one of the best-performing countries in the EU for digital skills.
Source: CBS — European Leader in Digital Skills
603,000
ICT workers in the Netherlands
In 2023, 603,000 people worked in ICT roles across all sectors. In 2013 this was 334,000 — a growth of 80%.
Source: CBS — D&K 2024 Summary
99,800
ICT businesses active in the Netherlands
At the end of 2023, nearly 100,000 ICT businesses were active in the Netherlands, together achieving an 11.3% growth in gross value added.
Source: CBS — D&K 2024
€21.6 bln
R&D expenditure in the Netherlands
In 2022, the Netherlands invested €21.6 billion in Research & Development, representing 2.18% of GDP.
Source: CBS — D&K 2024
Skills gap is growing
SMEs struggle to identify and fill digital skills shortages
According to UWV (Dutch Employee Insurance Agency), the demand for digital skills is growing strongly. Employers increasingly require soft skills like customer orientation, problem-solving and adaptability alongside technical knowledge. For SME businesses, it is a major challenge to identify future-oriented skills in time.
Source: CBS — Pilot Study Digital Skills 2025
8

Social Media for Businesses

LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube are the big winners of 2025. Dutch businesses are increasingly strategic about which platforms they use to reach their target audience.

13.4 mln
Dutch people use WhatsApp
WhatsApp remains the largest platform (15+), followed by Facebook and YouTube (both 10.1 million), Instagram (8.2 million) and LinkedIn (5.7 million).
Source: Newcom — National Social Media Research 2025
5.7 mln
LinkedIn users in the Netherlands
LinkedIn is growing across all age groups, especially among 25- to 39-year-olds. The platform is essential for B2B visibility and personal branding.
Source: Frankwatching — Social Media Research 2025
8.2 mln
Instagram users in the Netherlands
Of which 5.9 million are daily active users. Instagram is one of the fastest-growing platforms and indispensable for visual industries.
Source: Afix — Social Media Figures 2025
10.2 mln
YouTube users in the Netherlands
An increase of 185,000 compared to the previous year. YouTube is becoming increasingly important for content marketing and employer branding.
Source: Afix — Social Media Figures 2025
10.1 mln
Facebook users in the Netherlands
Facebook grew by 265,000 users in 2024. The platform remains relevant for broad reach, especially among those aged 40+.
Source: Marketingfacts — Social Media in the Netherlands 2024
1.2 mln
daily LinkedIn users
Of the 5.7 million LinkedIn users, 1.2 million are daily active. This makes LinkedIn the most targeted B2B platform in the Netherlands.
Source: Fingerspitz — LinkedIn Statistics 2024
X declines, LinkedIn rises
The major shift in the social media landscape of 2025
X (formerly Twitter) is losing users and trust, while LinkedIn and Instagram are the big growers. Businesses need to be increasingly strategic about where they are present. The trend: fewer platforms, but more intensive usage.
Source: Cross Internet — Social Media Research 2025
9

Cybersecurity & Privacy

The number of data breaches has nearly doubled and cybercrime is causing increasing damage to SMEs. Yet many businesses lag behind with basic security measures.

37,839
data breaches reported to the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens in 2024
An increase of nearly 50% compared to 2023 (25,694 reports). The number of data breach reports continues to rise year after year.
Source: Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens — Data Breach Report 2024
1 in 4
SME businesses were victims of cybercrime in 2024
According to ABN AMRO, a quarter of SME businesses were affected by cybercrime, with an average damage of €270,000.
Source: ABN AMRO via Afia Advies
€270,000
average damage per cyberattack on an SME
The financial impact of cybercrime on SMEs is enormous and can be life-threatening for smaller businesses.
Source: ABN AMRO
86%
of businesses use antivirus software
More than 86% of all businesses with 2+ employees use antivirus software, regardless of company size.
Source: CBS — Cybersecurity Monitor 2024
61%
of businesses use two-factor authentication
A significant increase from 2017 (26%). At businesses with 10-50 employees, this has even more than doubled to 76%.
Source: NCSC / CBS — Cybersecurity Monitor 2024
33%
of micro-businesses use data encryption
Among small businesses (2-10 employees), data encryption is limited (33%), while at large businesses (250+) this is 90%. A major gap.
Source: CBS — Cybersecurity Monitor 2024
1,430
data breach reports from cyberattacks in 2024
The number of cyberattack reports rose by 9% compared to 2023, and the number of data thefts by cybercriminals nearly doubled.
Source: Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens — 2024
1%
of businesses were affected by ransomware
Of all businesses with 2+ employees, 1% were hit by ransomware in 2023. Although the percentage seems low, the impact per case is enormous.
Source: CBS — Cybersecurity Monitor 2024
10

Cloud & SaaS Adoption

More and more Dutch businesses are moving to the cloud. With 71% adoption, the Netherlands is on track for the EU target of 75% by 2030, and growth is accelerating.

71%
of businesses (10+) use cloud services
Up from 64% in 2023 to 71% in 2024. The Netherlands is on course for the EU target of 75% cloud adoption by 2030.
Source: Rijksoverheid — Monitor Digital Economy 2024
62%
of businesses are heavily dependent on cloud services
The Netherlands ranks in the top 4 in Europe for this, along with Finland (65.9%), Denmark (65%) and Italy (61.9%).
Source: Eurostat — Cloud computing statistics
80%
of large businesses (250+) use cloud
The gap with smaller businesses is significant: the smaller a business, the lower the cloud adoption rate.
Source: Redbus — Dutch Cloud Analysis
+21%
more profit for SMEs using cloud software
SME businesses using cloud software make on average 21% more profit and grow 26% faster than businesses that do not.
Source: ICT Magazine — SME Cloud Subsidy Research
43%
of EU businesses use ERP software
Enterprise Resource Planning is widely used: from 38% at small businesses to 86% at large enterprises (Eurostat, 2023).
Source: Eurostat — E-business integration 2023
26%
of EU businesses use CRM software
Customer Relationship Management is less widely adopted than ERP, but is growing steadily. Dutch businesses score above the EU average.
Source: Eurostat — E-business integration 2023
€14 → €30 bln
expected growth of the Dutch cloud market by 2030
The Dutch cloud market is growing from €14 billion to an expected €30 billion by 2030, with the highest adoption rate in Europe (93% of all organizations).
Source: Redbus — Dutch Cloud Analysis
+26%
faster growth for SMEs with cloud
In addition to higher profits, SME businesses with cloud software also grow 26% faster, underscoring the business case for cloud investment.
Source: ICT Magazine
11

European Digital Economy

The Netherlands is among Europe’s digital leaders, but competition from Scandinavian countries and Eastern Europe is growing. The EU is working toward ambitious 2030 goals.

Top 3 EU
The Netherlands is among the digital leaders
Together with Finland, Denmark and Sweden, the Netherlands consistently ranks among the most digitalized countries in the EU, measured by the DESI index (2017-2022).
Source: European Commission — DESI Netherlands
11%
of Dutch businesses achieve very high digital level
The Netherlands has the third highest percentage of businesses with a very high level of digital intensity (DII) in the EU, after Finland (13%) and Malta (11.4%).
Source: Eurostat — Digitalisation in Europe 2025
95%
EU target for SME basic digitalization by 2030
The European Digital Decade aims for 95% of SMEs to have at least a basic level of digitalization by 2030. The Netherlands is currently at 81.5%.
Source: Eurostat — Digital Decade targets
75%
EU target for advanced technology adoption by 2030
The EU wants 75% of businesses to adopt advanced technologies (AI, cloud, big data) by 2030. The Netherlands is at 71% for cloud and 23% for AI.
Source: Rijksoverheid — Monitor Digital Economy 2024
20%
of EU businesses use AI in 2025
The EU average for AI adoption is 20%, a growth of 6.5 percentage points. The Netherlands (23%) scores above the average.
Source: Eurostat — AI in EU enterprises 2025
55%
of large EU businesses use AI
Adoption varies significantly by company size: 17% at small, 30% at medium-sized and 55% at large enterprises in the EU.
Source: Eurostat — AI in EU enterprises 2025
62%
of European organizations seek sovereign AI
Research by Accenture shows that 62% of European organizations are looking for sovereign AI solutions due to geopolitical uncertainty. Among banks this is even 76%.
Source: Emerce / Accenture — AI Investments NL
11.8%
of EU businesses use AI for text analysis
The most common AI application in the EU is analyzing written language (11.8%), followed by generating images, video and audio (9.5%).
Source: Eurostat — AI in EU enterprises 2025
12

Future Predictions

From AI agents that act autonomously to subsidies for digital transformation: these are the trends that will shape Dutch SMEs in the coming years.

40%
of business applications will contain AI agents by 2026
According to Gartner, this will rise from just 5% in 2025. AI agents that independently think and act are becoming the new standard in business software.
Source: AI.nl / Gartner — AI Trends 2026
5% → 40%
explosive growth of AI agents in business applications
The jump from 5% to 40% in one year illustrates how quickly AI agents are becoming mainstream in business.
Source: Frankwatching — AI Trends 2026
€6 mln
subsidy budget SME Digitalization & Robotization 2.0
As of October 1, 2025, €6 million is available for SME businesses that want to digitalize. The subsidy covers 50% of costs, applications are open until October 31, 2026.
Source: SNN / Subsidium — SME Digitalization 2.0
€2,500
maximum subsidy ‘Mijn Digitale Zaak’
Through the initiative of MKB-Nederland, KVK and RVO, entrepreneurs receive up to €2,500 (50% of quote) for digitalization. Commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Source: MKB Digitaal — Subsidies
Data in order
becomes the primary challenge for AI success in SMEs
Experts predict that AI will only truly break through in SMEs when businesses break down their data silos. Without proper data integration, AI investments remain underutilized.
Source: Passionned — BI & AI Trends 2026
AI Governance
becomes a formal business function
Large organizations are appointing AI Officers, while SME businesses opt for external audits or AI certification. Responsible AI use is becoming the norm.
Source: The AI Company by SoMC — AI Trends 2026
SME Workshops
help entrepreneurs with digitalization via university and vocational students
In SME Digitalization Workshops, entrepreneurs receive practical advice from students supervised by teachers and experts, commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Source: Nederland Digitaal — Accelerating SME Digitalization
Pace must increase
Minister Beljaarts: SME digitalization is progressing too slowly
Although the Netherlands scores well in Europe, Minister Beljaarts warns that the pace is too low to maintain our position as a global technology leader. Competition from Asia and the US is increasing, and without acceleration the Netherlands risks losing ground. The ambition: becoming Europe’s innovation hub through targeted AI investments.
Source: Rijksoverheid — March 2025

Sources

Government & CBS

Business Data

European & International

Social Media & Marketing

AI & Future

Website & Cloud

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