# Netherlands government administrative reform

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/netherlands-government-administrative-reform
> Updated: 2026-10-26T09:00:23.000Z. Sources: 21. Developments: 2.

The Dutch government has initiated a series of reforms aimed at reducing administrative burdens and increasing efficiency. State Secretary Eric van der Burg announced a target for all ministries to scrap or simplify 750 regulations by the end of 2027. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management is tasked with the largest reduction, followed by the ministries of Social Affairs and Employment, Finance, and Justice and Security.

Building on these deregulation efforts, the government also plans to reduce the national civil service workforce by approximately 25,000 full-time positions over the next decade, representing about 16 percent of the current workforce. This personnel reduction aims to address significant growth in government roles since 2018. The broader strategy includes implementing a Simplification Act and reducing the influence of advisory boards to achieve an estimated 3.5 billion euros in savings.

Recent developments indicate that the government intends to utilize artificial intelligence and automation to manage routine administrative tasks, document management, and citizen services as a central component of this restructuring. The plan aims to achieve annual savings of 900 million euros by 2027, rising to 3.5 billion euros by 2035. To reach these targets, the government intends to eliminate at least 500 unnecessary rules annually and reduce reliance on external consultants. 

State Secretary van der Burg stated that the initiative seeks to create a government that is “simpler, smarter and smaller.” While the cuts will affect various departments, supervisory bodies, and directorates, the police and defense sectors are explicitly excluded. The government plans to manage the workforce transition through natural attrition and vacancy freezes rather than relying solely on forced redundancies, while also optimizing physical infrastructure by reducing office space to accommodate remote work.

## Claims

- The Dutch government plans to cut 25,000 full-time government positions by 2035. (corroborated by 20 sources)
- Annual savings are projected to reach €3.5 billion by 2035. (corroborated by 19 sources)
- The central government workforce reached 160,000 positions in 2025. (corroborated by 11 sources)
- The number of civil servants has increased by 41 percent since 2018. (corroborated by 10 sources)
- The government aims to save €900 million annually by 2027. (corroborated by 8 sources)
- Police and defense services are exempt from the job cuts. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- The government intends to scrap at least 500 rules per year. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- The government will reduce its reliance on external consultants. (corroborated by 2 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-26: Netherlands to cut 25,000 government jobs by 2035 using AI

The Netherlands plans to cut 25,000 government jobs by 2035 through AI integration and administrative reforms, aiming for €3.5 billion in annual savings.

21 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/netherlands-plans-to-cut-25000-civil-service-jobs

### 2026-10-06: Netherlands sets target to scrap or simplify 750 regulations by 2027

The Dutch government aims to scrap or simplify 750 regulations by 2027 to reduce administrative burdens for citizens and businesses, following previous targets that were not fully met.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/netherlands-sets-target-to-scrap-or-simplify-750-regulations-by-2027

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Cite as: Netherlands government administrative reform. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/netherlands-government-administrative-reform