The Dutch government announced plans to cut 25,000 civil servant jobs—roughly 20% of its workforce—over the next decade to achieve annual savings of €3.5 billion ($3.9 billion). Driven by AI technology deployment and deregulation targeting 500 rules per year, the efficiency drive comes after civil service headcount grew 41% since 2018 to a record 160,000. While police and defense are exempt, ministries and inspectorates face cuts up to 60%.
Civil service reduction targets
- ▪Government ministries, inspectorates, and implementing agencies will bear the largest impact of the proposed Dutch civil service job cuts
- ▪The Dutch police and defense sectors are exempted from the planned civil service headcount reductions
- ▪The number of Dutch government civil servants reached a record 160,000 at the end of 2025, representing a 41% increase since 2018
- ▪Dutch State Secretary for Effective Government Eric van den Burg stated that government departments could face staffing reductions of 45% or 60%
- ▪The Dutch government plans to reduce its total civil service workforce by approximately 20% over the next 10 years
- ▪The Dutch government announced plans on October 26, 2026 to cut 25,000 civil servant jobs over the next decade
AI implementation plans
- ▪The Dutch parliament passed non-binding motions requesting the cabinet to increase government productivity by 20% through artificial intelligence
- ▪State Secretary Eric van den Burg stated the Dutch government aims to work with Dutch and European AI suppliers to prevent reliance on non-European technology
Deregulation and bureaucracy reduction
- ▪State Secretary Eric van den Burg emphasized that reducing bureaucratic rules will simplify government operations and lessen future hiring needs
- ▪The Dutch government flagship deregulation program aims to eliminate 500 unnecessary or overly bureaucratic rules each year
Dutch budget deficit outlook
- ▪The Netherlands maintains one of the smallest government budget deficits in the European Union
- ▪The long-term outlook for the Dutch budget deficit raises concerns in the Netherlands, which maintains a reputation for fiscal conservatism
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