Most earnings from the cocaine trade end up abroad
| Omschrijving | Within the Dutch economy (billion euros) | Within national borders, outside the Dutch economy (billion euros) |
|---|---|---|
| Cocaine | 1.2 | 9.5 |
| Synthetic drugs | 1.0 | 2.2 |
| Cannabis | 1.4 | 0.2 |
| Prostitution | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| Illegal tobacco | 0.1 | 0.0 |
Illegal economy constitutes 0.5 percent of Dutch economy
In addition to the trade in cocaine, CBS also estimates the production of and trade in synthetic drugs, cannabis, prostitution, and the illegal production of and trade in tobacco. In the case of cannabis and unlicensed prostitution, CBS measures not only activities that are part of the illegal economy, but also those that are tolerated and legal. The total value added to the economy by illegal activities was 4.5 billion euros in 2021, equivalent to 0.5 percent of GDP.In 2021, more than 3 billion euros were earned from the trade and production of synthetic drugs within the borders of the Netherlands. Most of that ended up in other countries, as is the case with the trade in cocaine. Nearly one third of those earnings contributed to GDP.
Most earnings from cannabis remain within the Dutch economy. Earnings from prostitution and the illegal trade in tobacco remain fully part of the Dutch economy. In 2021, activities involving the cannabis trade, prostitution and the illegal production of and trade in tobacco contributed 2.4 billion euros to the Dutch economy.