1981 Dutch general election

{{Short description|none}}

{{Infobox legislative election

| country = Netherlands

| previous_election = 1977

| next_election = 1982

| seats_for_election = All 150 seats in the House of Representatives

| majority_seats = 76

| election_date = 26 May 1981

| turnout = 87.0% ({{decrease}} 1.1 pp)

| leader1 = Dries van Agt

| party1 = Christian Democratic Appeal

| last_election1 = 49

| seats1 = 48

| percentage1 = 30.8%

| leader2 = Joop den Uyl

| party2 = Labour Party (Netherlands)

| last_election2 = 53

| seats2 = 44

| percentage2 = 28.3%

| leader3 = Hans Wiegel

| party3 = People's Party for Freedom and Democracy

| last_election3 = 28

| seats3 = 26

| percentage3 = 17.3%

| leader4 = Jan Terlouw

| party4 = Democrats 66

| last_election4 = 8

| seats4 = 17

| percentage4 = 11.1%

| leader5 = Fred van der Spek

| party5 = Pacifist Socialist Party

| last_election5 = 1

| seats5 = 3

| percentage5 = 2.1%

| leader6 = Marcus Bakker

| party6 = Communist Party of the Netherlands

| last_election6 = 2

| seats6 = 3

| percentage6 = 2.1%

| leader7 = Henk van Rossum

| party7 = Reformed Political Party

| last_election7 = 3

| seats7 = 3

| percentage7 = 2.0%

| leader8 = Ria Beckers

| party8 = Political Party of Radicals

| last_election8 = 3

| seats8 = 3

| percentage8 = 2.0%

| leader9 = Meindert Leerling

| party9 = Reformatory Political Federation

| last_election9 = 0

| seats9 = 2

| percentage9 = 1.2%

| leader10 = Gert Schutte

| party10 = Reformed Political League

| last_election10 = 1

| seats10 = 1

| percentage10 = 0.8%

| map = Tweede Kamerverkiezingen 1981.png

| map_caption = Most voted-for party by municipality

| title = Cabinet

| before_election = First Van Agt cabinet

| before_party = CDA–VVD

| after_election = Second Van Agt cabinet

| after_party = CDA–PvdA–D66

}}

General elections were held in the Netherlands on 26 May 1981.Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1396 {{ISBN|978-3-8329-5609-7}}{{Cite journal |last=van Mierlo |first=Hans J. G. A. |date=1981 |title=The 1981 Netherlands election |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/01402388108424339 |journal=West European Politics |volume=4 |issue=3 |pages=297–301 |doi=10.1080/01402388108424339 |issn=0140-2382}} The Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) emerged as the largest party, winning 48 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives.Nohlen & Stöver, p1414

The incumbent Christian Democratic Appeal-People's Party for Freedom and Democracy coalition lost its overall majority leading to a new coalition being formed between the CDA, the Labour Party (PvdA) and Democrats 66, with the CDA's Dries van Agt continuing as Prime Minister. However due to disagreements between the CDA and PvdA on government spending the coalition collapsed after just a year, leading to fresh elections.