Dutch government estimates 25,000 fewer civil-service roles under efficiency plan

The Dutch government has set out a program to shrink and simplify central government, estimating that its savings and service reductions will result in about 25,000 fewer full-time-equivalent civil-service roles over several years.

The official program says central-government savings must reach €900 million in 2027 and rise to €3.5 billion from 2035. It does not attribute the entire workforce reduction to automation. The cabinet plans to publish separate goals and savings plans for using artificial intelligence to improve productivity in the first quarter of 2027.

A similar attribution issue appears in a technology-efficiency plan at Barclays, where AI is one part of a broader modernization program rather than the sole explanation for planned job cuts.

The Dutch plan combines general efficiency measures with choices about which government tasks will continue. The government said simplification and smarter working should reduce staffing needs over the next decade, but that savings cannot be delivered through efficiency measures alone.

Operational changes include scaling back ministry facilities, standardizing ICT systems and moving toward one workplace for every two employees. The cabinet also plans to sell surplus buildings, expand joint procurement and reduce procurement requirements. Police and defence are among the areas exempt from the savings, which will not be distributed evenly across the civil service.

The program also aims to eliminate or simplify at least 500 rules a year for residents, professionals and businesses. The cabinet plans substantial reductions across 28 permanent advisory councils, about 150 advisory committees and roughly 400 policy evaluations conducted each year, with specific targets for advisory bodies due before the end of 2026.

The 2026 coalition agreement called for less complex legislation, lower overhead and a more compact civil service, alongside responsible government use of data and AI. The new program puts numbers and operational measures around that commitment without specifying how much of the projected staffing reduction will come from AI.

The government has not said whether the reduction will be achieved through layoffs, attrition, unfilled vacancies, reduced external hiring or a combination of those methods. It also has not allocated the 25,000-FTE estimate by ministry or agency. The spring fiscal memorandum is expected to detail how the savings will be implemented, and the cabinet said a multi-year plan for the civil service will follow within six months.