Not surprisingly, the capital of the Netherlands is also its largest city. At around *******, Amsterdam has over ******* inhabitants more than the second-largest city in the country, Rotterdam. The Hague and Utrecht, the third and fourth-largest cities in the Netherlands, together have approximately as many inhabitants as Amsterdam alone. Amsterdam and the pressure on the housing market A rapidly growing city, Amsterdam’s population increased from roughly ***** thousand to around ***** thousand in the last decade. This has created pressure on the real estate market, where average rent and housing prices have skyrocketed. In the first quarter of 2010, the average rent of residential property amounted to roughly ***** euros per square meter. In the first quarter of 2021, this had increased to over ***** euros per square meter.  2030 Outlook  In the nearby future, Amsterdam is set to remain the Netherlands’ largest city. According to a recent forecast, by 2030 Amsterdam will have broken the barrier of one million inhabitants. Rotterdam, Den Haag and Utrecht are forecast to grow too, albeit at a much lower pace. In 2030, Rotterdam is expected to reach just under ******* inhabitants.

This statistic shows the largest urban settlements in the Netherlands in 2021. In 2021, around 1.13 million people lived in Amsterdam, making it the largest city in the Netherlands. Population of the Netherlands With the global financial crisis in 2008 as well as the Euro zone crisis, many countries in Europe suffered a great economic impact. In spite of the crisis, the Netherlands maintained a stable economy over the past decade. The country's unemployment rate, for example, has been kept at a relatively low level in comparison to other countries in Europe also affected by the economic crisis. In 2014, Spain had an unemployment rate of more than 25 percent. The Netherlands' population has also seen increases in growth in comparison to previous years, with the figures slowly decreasing since 2011. As a result of the increase in population, the degree of urbanization - which is the share of the population living in urban areas - has increased, while the size of the labor force in the Netherlands has been relatively stable over the past decade. The population density of inhabitants per square kilometer in the Netherlands has also increased. Large cities in the Netherlands have experienced the impact of the population density growth and increase in the size of the labor force first hand. Three cities in the Netherlands have over half a million residents (as can be seen above). Additionally, more and more visitors are coming to the kingdom: The number of tourists in the Netherlands has increased significantly since 2001, a change which has also impacted the country's metropolises. Due to its location and affordable accommodation prices, the country’s tourism industry is developing and the largest cities in the Netherlands are taking advantage of it.

Population in largest city in Netherlands was reported at 1181817 in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Netherlands - Population in largest city - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Netherlands NL: Population in Largest City data was reported at 1,123,080.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,114,536.000 Person for 2016. Netherlands NL: Population in Largest City data is updated yearly, averaging 970,475.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,123,080.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 922,076.000 Person in 1983. Netherlands NL: Population in Largest City 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: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in largest city is the urban population living in the country's largest metropolitan area.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; ;

According to this population forecast, in 2030 Amsterdam will remain the largest city in the Netherlands. It is forecast that the capital will have over *********** inhabitants in 2030. Rotterdam, currently the second-largest city in the country, will keep its spot. By 2030, the population of Rotterdam is expected to reach just under ******* people.

Population in the largest city (% of urban population) in Netherlands was reported at 7.0279 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Netherlands - Population in the largest city - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Netherlands NL: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data was reported at 7.063 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 7.087 % for 2016. Netherlands NL: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 9.364 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 13.659 % in 1960 and a record low of 7.063 % in 2017. Netherlands NL: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban 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: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; Weighted Average;

There were twice more non-residential units constructed in Amsterdam than in Utrecht in 2022. Meanwhile, there were roughly 100 new commercial buildings in The Hague, and 72 in Rotterdam that year.

There are large differences in house prices in different cities in the Netherlands but generally, cities situated further away from the "Randstad" (the area in the Netherlands that mainly consists of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht), were less expensive than the ones close to it. In 2022, the average selling price of residential real estate in some of the largest cities in the Netherlands ranged between approximately 621,000 euros in Amsterdam and 288,000 euros in Leeuwarden. Overall, Utrecht was the most expensive province to buy a single-family house in 2022, with the average price exceeding the national average by close to 200,000 euros.

This statistic shows the average number of months a house is for sale in the largest cities in the Netherlands in the second quarter of 2017. In the second quarter of 2017, it would take approximately 10 months to sell a house in Amsterdam. In the four largest municipalities, the demand of housing outweighs the supply. In December 2016, the average number of houses for sale in the municipality of Amsterdam was approximately ***** with this number reaching an average of ***** in December 2014.

This statistic shows the vacancy rate of retail stores in the four largest cities in the Netherlands in 2016 and 2018, by city. As of 2016, roughly ** percent of the retail stores in Utrecht were vacant. In 2018, this had increased to ** percent.

All cities with a population > 1000 or seats of adm div (ca 80.000)Sources and ContributionsSources : GeoNames is aggregating over hundred different data sources. Ambassadors : GeoNames Ambassadors help in many countries. Wiki : A wiki allows to view the data and quickly fix error and add missing places. Donations and Sponsoring : Costs for running GeoNames are covered by donations and sponsoring.Enrichment:add country name

This statistic shows the vacant shop floor area of retail stores in the four largest cities in the Netherlands in 2016 and 2018, by city (in square meters). As of 2016, roughly ****** square meters of retail stores in Amsterdam were vacant. In 2018, this had decreased to just over ****** square meters.

This dataset contains tables on the population projections for Amsterdam, broken down by age groups, gender, household types and migration background. For figures on population forecasts in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area (AMA), the four major cities (G4) and the Netherlands, please consult StatLine - the database of Statistics Netherlands.

This dataset contains tables with stock data on the population of Amsterdam broken down into age groups, gender, nationality, migration background, household types and marital status. For figures on the population in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area (AMA), the four major cities (G4) and the Netherlands, please consult StatLine - the database of Statistics Netherlands.

This statistic shows the total population of the Netherlands from 2020 to 2024, with projections up until 2030. In 2024, the total population of the Netherlands was around 17.94 million people. Population of the Netherlands Despite its small size, the Netherlands is the twenty-third smallest nation in the European Union, and it is one of the most important nations in Europe and the world. The Netherlands is a founding member of the European Union, a member of the Group of Ten, and NATO. The total population of the Netherlands has rapidly increased over the past decade. Between 2004 and 2014, the total population increased by around 600 thousand people, currently estimated to be around 16.9 million altogether. The biggest cities in the Netherlands include Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague, with Amsterdam alone being home to almost 800 thousand residents. Among other factors, the Netherlands' increasing population is due to high life expectancy, economic growth and job opportunities. In 2011, the population of the Netherlands grew by around 0.47 percent in comparison to 2010. That same year, life expectancy at birth in the Netherlands was a little over 81 years, the highest recorded life expectancy since 2001. In addition, the unemployment rate in the Netherlands is one of the lowest unemployment rates in all of Europe.

In Amsterdam, the average rent of a house increased by 5.75 percent in the first quarter of 2023 when compared to the same period one year before. Other big cities in the Netherlands: Rotterdam and The Hague saw decreases of 4.8 and 6.4 percent respectively. The rents are based on the price per square meter per month. In 2023, real estate prices are expected to stabilize with the growth of house prices slowing down.

In recent years, the housing market has continued to rise in the Netherlands due to low mortgage rates, a strong economy and a high level of consumer confidence. For example, the number of registered transactions reached a value of approximately 226,000 in 2021 and the average selling price of houses was the highest on record.

Rent prices per square meter in the largest Dutch cities have been on an upward trend after a slight decline in 2020. Amsterdam remained the most expensive city to live in, averaging a monthly rent of 27.6 euros per square meter for residential real estate in the private rental sector. Monthly rents in Utrecht were around six euros cheaper per square meter. Both cities were above the average rent price of residential property in the Netherlands overall, whereas Rotterdam and The Hague were slightly below that. Buying versus renting, what do the Dutch prefer? The Netherlands is one of Europe’s leading countries when it comes to homeownership, having funded this with a mortgage. In 2023, around 60 percent of people living in the Netherlands were homeowners with a mortgage. This is because Dutch homeowners were able to for many years to deduct interest paid from pre-tax income (a system known in the Netherlands as hypotheekrenteaftrek). This resulted in the Netherlands having one of the largest mortgage debts across the European continent. Total mortgage debt of Dutch households reached a value of approximately 803 billion euros in 2023. Is the Dutch housing market overheating? There are several indicators for the Netherlands that allow to investigate whether the housing market is overheating or not. House price indices corrected for inflation in the Netherlands suggest, for example, that prices have declined since 2022. The Netherlands’ house-price-to-rent-ratio, on the other hand, has exceeded the pre-crisis level in 2019. These figures, however, are believed to be significantly higher for cities like Amsterdam, as it was suggested for a long time that the prices of owner-occupied houses were increasing faster than rents in the private rental sector.

The province of Zuid-Holland lies in the west of the Netherlands and borders the North Sea. The provincial capital is Den Haag and its largest city is Rotterdam. Zuid-Holland is one of the world's most densely populated and industrialised regions. The province covers an area of 3,403 square kilometres and has 3,607,000 inhabitants. Positive observations without protocol Dataset available via https://www.ndff.nl/english / serviceteamndff@natuurloket.nl 895,249 records (March 2018)

Amsterdam is the largest city in the Netherlands, with a population amounting to over 918,100 inhabitants. In the last ten years, Amsterdam’s population increased rapidly, and the end is not yet in sight. By 2030, the number of inhabitants is forecast to reach over one million.

 Amsterdam and tourism  

Amsterdam is not just a popular place to settle down, it is also one of Europe’s leading city trip destinations. In 2020, tourists spent nearly 5.8 million nights in the city. Europe’s most popular capitals, London and Paris, registered roughly 20.77 and 14.13 million nights, respectively. In 2019, Amsterdam ranked 10th on the list of leading European city tourism destinations, just below Vienna and Prague.
   Tourism boom  

Tourism in Amsterdam is booming. In the last ten years, the number of tourists visiting the capital has doubled. In 2018, the city registered nearly 8.6 million hotel guests. The largest group of guests visiting Amsterdam were tourists from the U.K. (three million hotel nights), followed by domestic tourists and tourists from the US (2.9 and two million hotel nights, respectively).