Introduction

Of the triptych of demography, economy and society in the Netherlands in the modern period, all three are unusual, interesting and instructive. But nowhere is there more to excite interest than in the economy. In a nutshell, since the late sixteenth century this has been one of the most successful economies in the world. It has been amongst the top in terms of per-capita product or income, but never underwent an industrial revolution of the kind which typified the experience of its neighbours Britain, Belgium, parts of France, and Germany. The Netherlands, which formed perhaps the world's first modern economy, was characterized by internationally renowned agriculture, and prodigious trade and transport, with a tidy but relatively modest manufacturing sector, and managed to keep up with the world leaders in economic development. How was this achieved?

We examine the Dutch economy in the long nineteenth century in some detail below, in order to come to some conclusions about the economic process undergone, to understand more about the structure of the Dutch economy in this crucial period, and to be able to draw some modest lessons about more general models of economic growth, development and industrialization. Although many regional examples will be brought into focus, and (as with demography) special attention will be paid to the internal diversity of this small country, the examination is primarily concerned with the macro-economy of the Netherlands as a whole.