How much money is made in the illegal economy?

A total of 16.4 billion euros was earned from illegal activities on Dutch territory in 2021, particularly through the cocaine trade. Most of the profits made from criminal activities ends up abroad. Illegal activity added 4.5 billion euros to the Dutch economy in 2021. That was 0.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). GDP is a measure of the size of an economy.

A total of 420 thousand kilograms of cocaine entered the Netherlands through the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp in 2021. Of that, 8.5 thousand kilograms was consumed in the Netherlands and the rest was exported to other countries.

Earnings from the illegal economy on Dutch territory dominated by cocaine trade

A total of 10.7 billion euros was made through the cocaine trade within Dutch territory in 2021. However, nearly 90 percent of the money made from the cocaine trade found its way abroad to the drugs bosses who oversee these activities. Many activities around the international trade in drugs in the Netherlands are organised by principals who are not resident in the Netherlands. This means that only the money earned from ‘services’ within the Netherlands, such as trafficking or transporting drugs, remain within the Dutch economy. The cocaine trade contributed 1.2 billion euros to the Dutch economy in 2021.

In 2021, over 3 billion euros was earned from the trade and production of synthetic drugs, such as ecstasy on Dutch territory. Just as with the cocaine trade, most of that money ended up overseas. One billion euros of this was part of the Dutch economy.

Show datatableEarnings from the illegal economy, 2021 (billion euros)Hide datatableEarnings from the illegal economy, 2021 (billion euros)

Earnings from the illegal economy, 2021 (billion euros)

Omschrijving	Inside the Dutch economy	On Dutch territory, but outside the Dutch economy
Cocaine	1.2	9.5
Synthetic drugs	1.0	2.2
Cannabis	1.4	0.2
Unlicensed prostitution	0.7	0.0
Contraband tobacco	0.1	0.0

Profits from cannabis remain largely within the Dutch economy

When it comes to money made from the trade in cannabis, the majority remains within the Dutch economy. Similarly, earnings from prostitution and contraband tobacco also remain entirely within the Dutch economy.

In 2021, the cannabis trade, unlicensed prostitution and illegal tobacco combined added 2.3 billion euros to the Dutch economy. In the case of cannabis and prostitution, CBS looks not only at the activities that are part of the illegal economy, but also those that are legal or ‘tolerated’ (semi-legal).