The Dutch cabinet plans to eliminate 25,000 full-time government posts by 2035, a reduction of 16 per cent in its workforce. Announced as part of a broader efficiency programme, the cuts will be accompanied by efforts to use artificial intelligence to increase productivity.
The government's cost-reduction target is €900 million by 2027, rising to €3.5 billion by 2035. The measures will not apply uniformly across the public administration: police and defence services are excluded from the cuts.
In the first quarter of 2027, the cabinet intends to establish objectives for deploying AI more productively, alongside associated savings plans. These objectives will form part of its wider drive to reduce expenditure and improve the way government operates.
State Secretary Eric van der Burg outlined the ambition in a letter to the Dutch parliament, describing a government that would be smaller and operate in simpler, smarter ways. Several AI initiatives are already in place across different government sectors, and van der Burg favours broader deployment of the technology. Dutch media had reported earlier in the year that the government intended to incorporate AI into its cost-saving efforts.
