Netherlands vs. Luxembourg: Flag Comparison
The Netherlands and Luxembourg both fly horizontal red-white-blue tricolors, but Luxembourg uses a bright sky-blue bottom stripe (Pantone 299 C) and a longer 3:5 ratio, while the Netherlands uses dark cobalt blue and a 2:3 ratio.
How to tell Netherlands and Luxembourg apart at a glance
- Bottom blue shade: The Netherlands specifies dark cobalt blue (NEN 3055 / #21468B), while Luxembourg's 1993 Grand-Ducal Regulation mandates bright sky blue (Pantone 299 C / #51ADDA).
- Top red shade: The Netherlands uses a warm bright vermilion (#AE1C28), whereas Luxembourg specifies Pantone 032 C red (#EA141D).
- Aspect ratio: The Dutch flag is 2:3, whereas Luxembourg's official flag is more elongated at 3:5 (or 1:2).
Side-by-side structural comparison
| Attribute | Netherlands | Luxembourg |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 2:3 (2:3) | 3:5 (3:5) |
| Layout & orientation | horizontal tricolor | horizontal tricolor |
| Band / color sequence | red · white · blue | red · white · light blue |
| Official color specs | Bright Vermilion (Helder vermiljoen) (NEN 3055 (XYZ: X=16.3, Y=9.2, Z=2.9)); Bright White (Helder wit) (NEN 3055); Cobalt Blue (Kobaltblauw) (NEN 3055 (XYZ: X=7.8, Y=6.8, Z=26.7)) | Red (Pantone 032 C); White (statute-named); Sky Blue (Bleu ciel) (Pantone 299 C) |
| Official adoption | 1937-02-19 | 1972-06-23 |
| Region | Western Europe | Western Europe |
| Visual similarity score | 87/100 (Layout 35/35 · Colors 14.5/25 · Symbols 20/20 · Ratio 7.3/10 · Geometry 10/10) | |
Why these two flags look alike
Although the Netherlands and Luxembourg were linked in personal union under the House of Orange-Nassau from 1815 to 1890, their horizontal red-white-blue flags come from separate heraldic origins. The Dutch flag evolved from the sixteenth-century Prinsenvlag of William the Silent and was legally fixed as bright vermilion, white, and cobalt blue by Queen Wilhelmina's Royal Decree of 19 February 1937.
Luxembourg's tricolor derives its tinctures from the thirteenth-century coat of arms of Count Henry V (a red lion on a white-and-blue striped field) and was formally regulated in 1845 and 1972. Because darker blue dyes on Luxembourgish flags frequently caused them to be mistaken for Dutch flags, Luxembourg enacted a Grand-Ducal Regulation on 27 July 1993 explicitly locking its lower band to Pantone 299 C sky blue.
Explore each flag in detail
Read the complete statutory specification, color table, and historical timeline on the Flag of the Netherlands page or the Flag of Luxembourg page, or return to all flag comparisons.