The boroughs of Amsterdam ( nl, stadsdelen; literally "''city parts''") are the eight principal subdivisions of the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the g ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Neth ...

. Each borough is governed by a directly elected district committee (''bestuurscommissie''). The first Amsterdam boroughs were created in 1981, with other boroughs created in later years. The last area to be granted the status of borough was

Amsterdam-Centrum Amsterdam-Centrum is the inner-most borough and historical city centre of Amsterdam, Netherlands, containing the majority of the city's landmarks. Established in 2002, Amsterdam-Centrum was the last area in the city to be granted the status of se ...

(2002). The existing system of eight boroughs, covering all parts of

, is the result of a major borough reform in 2010. The current boroughs have populations of around 80,000 to 150,000, which is equivalent to an average-sized municipality in the

Borough government

Anton de Komplein Amsterdam Zuidoost 01 PM07

Spijkstaal Gemeente Amsterdam Stadsdeel Centrum

Until 2014, the Amsterdam boroughs had the status of submunicipalities (''deelgemeenten''), a form of government which existed only in Amsterdam and

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

. The borough of

Westpoort Westpoort (''Western Gateway or Western Port'') is a borough (''stadsdeel'') of Amsterdam, Netherlands. The borough covers the Port of Amsterdam, the main harbour and industrial area of the city, and is located in the north-western part of A ...

, however, was governed by the central municipal authorities and therefore not a submunicipality. The submunicipalities were recognised under the Dutch Municipalities Act and enjoyed far-going autonomy, with the central municipal authorities abiding to the "submunicipalities decide, unless" principle. The submunicipalities were governed by a directly elected district council (''deelraad'') as well as a separate district executive board, the members of which were appointed and controlled by the council. The central municipal authorities retained some power, especially in the areas of public order (police), budget, public transport and social security. In 2013, the

States General of the Netherlands The States General of the Netherlands ( nl, Staten-Generaal ) is the supreme bicameral legislature of the Netherlands consisting of the Senate () and the House of Representatives (). Both chambers meet at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The States ...

adopted a revision of the Municipalities Act abolishing submunicipalities as a form of government. Since the 2014 municipal elections, therefore, the Amsterdam district councils have ceased to exist. Under a municipal ordinance, however, they were replaced by smaller, but still directly elected district committees (''bestuurscommissies''). All Dutch nationals, all EU nationals, as well as non-EU nationals who have lived in the

for at least three consecutive years, are eligible to vote for the district committee of the Amsterdam borough in which they live according to the city's civil register. Each district committee elects three of its members to form an executive committee (''dagelijks bestuur''). The district committees' jurisdiction is determined by the central

municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

. Responsibilities delegated to the 2018-2022 district committees include parks and recreation, streets and squares, refuse collection, permits and events, preparation of zoning plans, passports and drivers licenses, and welfare work. As the new district committees depend on powers being delegated by the central municipal council, their position is far less autonomous than their predecessors. Instead, the district committees are considered to be the local 'eyes and ears' of the central municipal authorities, carrying out their delegated powers within the frameworks determined by the

and the ''

college van burgemeester en wethouders In the Netherlands, the municipal executive (, ) is the executive board of a municipality. It plays a central role in municipal politics in the Netherlands, similar to the communal college in Belgium. It consists of the mayor and the members ...

''.

List of boroughs

Since 2010, there are eight boroughs.

References

{{Dutch decentral government Government of Amsterdam Geography of Amsterdam Dutch political institutions Local government in the Netherlands