In 2023, 17.81 million people were living in the Netherlands. The most populated age group was 50 to 55 years old, with 1.28 million people in that age range. Of these, 635,000 were male, and 640,000 were female. The distribution between male and female population was somewhat equal for all age groups, until the highest age groups. For 100 years and older, there were around 2,200 females and only about 400 males, while the distribution for people between the ages of 95 to 100 was 5,700 males and 18,100 females.

How is the population distributed by province?

The Netherlands counts 12 provinces, and naturally, the Dutch population is not distributed among them equally. In 2022, the most populated province was South Holland which includes cities such as Rotterdam and The Hague with 3.67 million residents. North-Holland, which includes the Dutch capital Amsterdam, had 2.85 million residents. The least populated province was that of Zeeland, with a mere 383,000 residents.

How does the Dutch population compare to the rest of Europe?

In 2021, the Netherlands had the eleventh highest population in Europe, with 17.17 million residents. This puts the Netherlands above Belgium with 11.63 million and below Romania with 19.12 million. Russia is the most populated European country with 145.91 million residents, meaning it has about 8.5 times the population of the Netherlands. The least populated country in Europe other than Vatican city is Gibraltar, with 34,000 inhabitants, meaning it has 0.2 percent of the population of the Netherlands

As of January 1, 2023, there were approximately 3.8 million people younger than 20 years living in the Netherlands. The largest age group was formed by those between 40 and 65 years old. Together, this age group numbered nearly six million people. The retired population of the Netherlands consisted of approximately 3.5 million people. Considering this make-up of Dutch society, it is not surprising there are so many debates on increasing the retirement age. The ratio of the non-working population to the working population has decreased between 1950 and today.

Old age pensions grew steadily

When reaching the retirement age, there is an insurance scheme which covers everyone who lives or works in the Netherlands, regardless of nationality. This basic pension scheme is called AOW (National Old Age Pensions Act), though for those who have not lived in the Netherlands for a full 50 years, the pension is proportional. Between 1998 and 2019, the number of old age pensions grew steadily, reaching a total of 3.42 million pensions in 2019. As of the same year, disability pensions had approximately 3.84 million members, which is an increase of 276,000 pensions compared to the previous year.

Decrease in company pension funds

The number of company pension funds decreased drastically over a period of 21 years. In 1997, 957 pension funds by companies were registered, whereas by 2019 this decreased to a total of just 148 company pension schemes.

The total population in Netherlands was estimated at 17.9 million people in 2024, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. This dataset provides - Netherlands Population - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Key figures on the population of the Netherlands.

The following information is available: - Population by sex; - Population by marital status; - Population by age (groups); - Population by origin; - Private households; - Persons in institutional households; - Population growth; - Population density.

CBS is in transition towards a new classification of the population by origin. Greater emphasis is now placed on where a person was born, aside from where that person’s parents were born. The term ‘migration background’ is no longer used in this regard. The main categories western/non-western are being replaced by categories based on continents and a few countries that share a specific migration history with the Netherlands. The new classification is being implemented gradually in tables and publications on population by origin.

Data available from: 1950 Figures on population by origin are only available from 2022 at this moment. The periods 1996 through 2021 will be added to the table at a later time.

Status of the figures: All the figures are final.

Changes as of 17 July 2024: Final figures with regard to population growth for 2023 and final figures of the population on 1 January 2024 have been added.

Changes as of 26 April 2023: None, this is a new table. This table succeeds the table Population; key figures; 1950-2022. See section 3. The following changes have been implemented compared to the discontinued table: - The topic folder 'Population by migration background' has been replaced by 'Population by origin'; - The underlying topic folders regarding 'first and second generation migration background' have been replaced by 'Born in the Netherlands' and 'Born abroad'; - The origin countries Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Turkey have been assigned to the continent of Asia (previously Europe).

When will new figures be published? In the last quarter of 2025 final figures with regard to population growth for 2024 and final figures of the population on 1 January 2025 will be added.

In the year 1800, the population of the region which makes up the present-day Netherlands was approximately two million people. The beginning of the 19th century was a tumultuous time in Dutch history, as the region had recently been annexed by Revolutionary France; however the United Kingdom of the Netherlands was eventually established in 1815 (which also included present-day Belgium and Luxembourg) and a period of economic growth, modernization and high quality of life followed. In spite of this economic prosperity, religious tensions between the predominantly Catholic south and Protestant north led to a split in the kingdom in 1839, where it was eventually partitioned into Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, along borders very similar to today's. Rapid modernization and liberalization continued throughout the 19th century, and in 1900 the population of the Netherlands was over five million people.

Early 20th century The Netherlands was free to continue economic expansion, both in the metropole and in its colonies, uninterrupted for much of the first half of the 20th century (partly facilitated by its neutrality in the First World War). This resulted in a steady rise in population, which doubled to ten million within half a century. Population growth would even continue throughout the Second World War, as the Netherlands would be spared from much of the casualty-heavy conflicts seen in neighboring countries; however, most estimates concur that approximately 210,000 Dutch people died as a result of the war, half of which were Jews murdered in the Holocaust. The war also saw the end of Dutch colonization in the East Indies, as Japan annexed the region of present-day Indonesia in 1942; although the Dutch tried to re-colonize the region after the war, Indonesia became an officially recognized independent nation in 1949.

Netherlands today Population growth in the Netherlands would continue largely uninterrupted in the post-war years, until the 1970s, when it began to slow as Western Europe experienced periods of recession and high unemployment. Improvements in contraceptives and education also saw birth rates fall at their fastest ever rates in the 1970s. Following the recovery of the Dutch economy in the 1990s, population growth would resume once more, continuing steadily into the 21th century. In 2020, the Netherlands is estimated to have a population of just over 17 million people, making it one of the most densely populated countries in the world. For its size, the Netherlands has one of the strongest economies globally, and often ranks among the highest in terms of development, freedom and quality of life.

Abstract

IPUMS-International is an effort to inventory, preserve, harmonize, and disseminate census microdata from around the world. The project has collected the world's largest archive of publicly available census samples. The data are coded and documented consistently across countries and over time to facillitate comparative research. IPUMS-International makes these data available to qualified researchers free of charge through a web dissemination system.

The IPUMS project is a collaboration of the Minnesota Population Center, National Statistical Offices, and international data archives. Major funding is provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Additional support is provided by the University of Minnesota Office of the Vice President for Research, the Minnesota Population Center, and Sun Microsystems.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

Person

UNITS IDENTIFIED: - Dwellings: Not available in microdata sample - Vacant units: Not available in microdata sample - Households: Not available in microdata sample - Individuals: Yes - Group quarters: Not available in microdata sample - Special populations: n/a

UNIT DESCRIPTIONS: - Households: Individuals living in the same dwelling and sharing at least one meal.

Universe

The entire population of the country: 15,985,538 persons. Microdata are available for 1.19 % of the population, but exclude the institutional population.

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Sampling procedure

MICRODATA SOURCE: Statistics Netherlands (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, CBS)

SAMPLE UNIT: Person

SAMPLE FRACTION: 1.19%

SAMPLE SIZE (person records): 189,725

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Dependent on source: register or survey

Response rate

COVERAGE: Dependent on source, 1% to 100%

Health perception, height, obesity, health complaints, physical limitations, psychosocial complaints by sex, type of insurance, 1981 - 2000 Changed on March 25 2010. Frequency: Discontinued.

Population, female (% of total population) in Netherlands was reported at 50.33 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Netherlands - Population, female (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Netherlands NL: International Migrant Stock: % of Population data was reported at 11.696 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 11.018 % for 2010. Netherlands NL: International Migrant Stock: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 10.211 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2015, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11.696 % in 2015 and a record low of 7.927 % in 1990. Netherlands NL: International Migrant Stock: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Netherlands – Table NL.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. International migrant stock is the number of people born in a country other than that in which they live. It also includes refugees. The data used to estimate the international migrant stock at a particular time are obtained mainly from population censuses. The estimates are derived from the data on foreign-born population--people who have residence in one country but were born in another country. When data on the foreign-born population are not available, data on foreign population--that is, people who are citizens of a country other than the country in which they reside--are used as estimates. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 people living in one of the newly independent countries who were born in another were classified as international migrants. Estimates of migrant stock in the newly independent states from 1990 on are based on the 1989 census of the Soviet Union. For countries with information on the international migrant stock for at least two points in time, interpolation or extrapolation was used to estimate the international migrant stock on July 1 of the reference years. For countries with only one observation, estimates for the reference years were derived using rates of change in the migrant stock in the years preceding or following the single observation available. A model was used to estimate migrants for countries that had no data.; ; United Nations Population Division, Trends in Total Migrant Stock: 2008 Revision.; Weighted average;

The most important key figures about population, households, birth, mortality, changes of residence, marriages, marriage dissolutions and change of nationality of the Dutch population.

CBS is in transition towards a new classification of the population by origin. Greater emphasis is now placed on where a person was born, aside from where that person’s parents were born. The term ‘migration background’ is no longer used in this regard. The main categories western/non-western are being replaced by categories based on continents and a few countries that share a specific migration history with the Netherlands. The new classification is being implemented gradually in tables and publications on population by origin.

Data available from 1899 to 2019.

Status of the figures: All data in this publication are final data.

Changes as of 15 December 2023: None, this table was discontinued.

When will the new figures be published? No longer applicable. This table is succeeded by the table 'Population, households and population dynamics; from 1899'. See section 3.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the Holland population distribution across 18 age groups. It lists the population in each age group along with the percentage population relative of the total population for Holland. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population distribution of Holland by age. For example, using this dataset, we can identify the largest age group in Holland.

Key observations

The largest age group in Holland, OH was for the group of age 70 to 74 years years with a population of 148 (10.25%), according to the ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates. At the same time, the smallest age group in Holland, OH was the 20 to 24 years years with a population of 28 (1.94%). Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates

Age groups:

• Under 5 years
• 5 to 9 years
• 10 to 14 years
• 15 to 19 years
• 20 to 24 years
• 25 to 29 years
• 30 to 34 years
• 35 to 39 years
• 40 to 44 years
• 45 to 49 years
• 50 to 54 years
• 55 to 59 years
• 60 to 64 years
• 65 to 69 years
• 70 to 74 years
• 75 to 79 years
• 80 to 84 years
• 85 years and over

Variables / Data Columns

• Age Group: This column displays the age group in consideration
• Population: The population for the specific age group in the Holland is shown in this column.
• % of Total Population: This column displays the population of each age group as a proportion of Holland total population. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for Holland Population by Age. You can refer the same here

This dataset contains SDMX files with total population of the Netherlands according to the INSPIRE datamodel for Population Distribution version 3.0.

NL: Educational Attainment: At Least Master's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data was reported at 10.735 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 10.557 % for 2014. NL: Educational Attainment: At Least Master's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data is updated yearly, averaging 10.557 % from Dec 2013 (Median) to 2015, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.735 % in 2015 and a record low of 10.067 % in 2013. NL: Educational Attainment: At Least Master's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Netherlands – Table NL.World Bank: Education Statistics. The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed Master's or equivalent.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; ;

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the population of Holland by race. It includes the population of Holland across racial categories (excluding ethnicity) as identified by the Census Bureau. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population distribution of Holland across relevant racial categories.

Key observations

The percent distribution of Holland population by race (across all racial categories recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau): 81.44% are white, 7.27% are Black or African American, 0.14% are American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.29% are Asian and 8.86% are multiracial.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.

Racial categories include:

• White
• Black or African American
• American Indian and Alaska Native
• Asian
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
• Some other race
• Two or more races (multiracial)

Variables / Data Columns

• Race: This column displays the racial categories (excluding ethnicity) for the Holland
• Population: The population of the racial category (excluding ethnicity) in the Holland is shown in this column.
• % of Total Population: This column displays the percentage distribution of each race as a proportion of Holland total population. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for Holland Population by Race & Ethnicity. You can refer the same here

In the last decade, the average age of the Dutch population increased year on year. Whereas the population had an average age of around 30.8 years in 1950, the average age reached 42.5 years by 2023. As a result, in this period the grey population pressure (the ratio of the non-working population compared to the working population) increased as well.

 Historical development  

Since the 1950s, the average age of the population has increased significantly. In nearly 70 years, the population’s average age grew by over ten years. This also caused a more than doubling of the grey population pressure in the country in this period, from 14 percent in 1950 to 33.1 percent in 2020. By 2060, the grey population pressure in the Netherlands is forecast to reach nearly 50 percent, meaning that for every working person in the country, there will also be a non-working person.

Comparison to Belgium  

The average age of the population in the Netherlands was comparable to the average age of the population in neighboring country Belgium, which reached 41.87 years in 2020. In Belgium too, the average age of the population is expected to increase in the future. By 2022, the average age here is forecast to reach 42.08 years.

Population ages 15-64, total in Netherlands was reported at 11561484 Persons in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Netherlands - Population ages 15-64, total - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Working-Age Population Male: From 25 to 54 Years for Netherlands (LFWA25MANLQ647S) from Q1 2000 to Q4 2024 about Netherlands, 25 to 54 years, working-age, males, and population.

Netherlands population density for 2022 was 525.72, a 0.96% increase from 2021.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Netherlands population density for 2021 was <strong>520.73</strong>, a <strong>0.52% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>Netherlands population density for 2020 was <strong>518.01</strong>, a <strong>0.56% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>Netherlands population density for 2019 was <strong>515.14</strong>, a <strong>0.66% increase</strong> from 2018.</li>
</ul>Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the Holland township population distribution across 18 age groups. It lists the population in each age group along with the percentage population relative of the total population for Holland township. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population distribution of Holland township by age. For example, using this dataset, we can identify the largest age group in Holland township.

Key observations

The largest age group in Holland Township, Michigan was for the group of age Under 5 years years with a population of 21 (11.17%), according to the ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates. At the same time, the smallest age group in Holland Township, Michigan was the 80 to 84 years years with a population of 3 (1.60%). Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates

Age groups:

• Under 5 years
• 5 to 9 years
• 10 to 14 years
• 15 to 19 years
• 20 to 24 years
• 25 to 29 years
• 30 to 34 years
• 35 to 39 years
• 40 to 44 years
• 45 to 49 years
• 50 to 54 years
• 55 to 59 years
• 60 to 64 years
• 65 to 69 years
• 70 to 74 years
• 75 to 79 years
• 80 to 84 years
• 85 years and over

Variables / Data Columns

• Age Group: This column displays the age group in consideration
• Population: The population for the specific age group in the Holland township is shown in this column.
• % of Total Population: This column displays the population of each age group as a proportion of Holland township total population. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for Holland township Population by Age. You can refer the same here

Urban population (% of total population) in Netherlands was reported at 93.18 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Netherlands - Urban population (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.