Provinces of the Netherlands

Provinces of the Netherlands
Clickable map of provinces
Category	Unitary unit
Location	Kingdom of the Netherlands
Number	12 provinces 3 special municipalities
Populations	Least: Zeeland, 391,124 Most: South Holland, 3,804,906
Areas	Smallest (including water): Utrecht, 1,560 km2 (602 sq mi) Largest (including water): Friesland, 5,753 km2 (2,221 sq mi)
Government	Provincial executive
Subdivisions	Municipalities

There are twelve provinces of the Netherlands representing the administrative layer between the national government and the local governments, with responsibility for matters of subnational or regional importance.

The most populous province is South Holland, with just over 3.8 million inhabitants as of January 2023^[update], and also the most densely populated province with 1,410/km² (3,700/sq mi).^[1] With 391,124 inhabitants, Zeeland has the smallest population. However Drenthe is the least densely populated province with 191/km² (490/sq mi). In terms of area, Friesland is the largest province with a total area of 5,753 km² (2,221 sq mi). If water is excluded, Gelderland is the largest province by land area at 4,960 km² (1,915 sq mi). The province of Utrecht is the smallest with a total area of 1,560 km² (602 sq mi), while Flevoland is the smallest by land area at 1,410 km² (544 sq mi). In total about 10,000 people were employed by the provincial administrations in 2018.^[2]

The provinces of the Netherlands are joined in the Association of Provinces of the Netherlands (IPO). This organisation promotes the common interests of the provinces in the national government of the Netherlands in The Hague.