The high tech sector in Eindhoven was the major factor in propelling economic growth there faster than in the other four major cities in the Netherlands in 2017, the national statistics office CBS said on Thursday.

GDP increased by 4.6% in Eindhoven last year compared to 2.9% for the country as a whole. Only in Almere, where the population grew at an above-average rate, was the gain in GDP higher.

CBS economist Peter Hein van Mulligen said the area around Eindhoven was unique in the Dutch economy: ‘Eindhoven’s success story is based on the many very specialised high-tech companies located there.’

GDP growth in Amsterdam increased by 3.9% last year due to the strong retail and wholesale sectors. In Rotterdam the increase was 3.3%, while Utrecht’s GDP was 3.2% higher. The Hague registered the lowest GDP growth of the five major cities at 2.6%.