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.

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

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.

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. Statistics Netherlands will reorganise the tables relating to statistics on population and households. The aim is to reduce the number of tables while striving to preserve (much) needed information. This table will be revised as soon as possible. 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 to 2022. Status of the figures: All the figures are final. Changes as of 26 April 2023: None, this table was discontinued. When will new figures be published? No longer applicable. This table is succeeded by the table Population; key figures. See section 3.

This table contains data on the population of the Netherlands as of January 1 by nationality, sex and age.

Data available from: 2014.

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

Changes as of 28 August 2025: Final figures of 1 January 2025 have been added.

When will new figures be published? For now, only data from 2014 onwards is available in the table. The periods 1995 through 2013 will be added to the table at a later date. In the fourth quarter of 2026, figures as of 1 January 2026 will be added in this publication.

Netherlands NL: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young data was reported at 25.326 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 25.509 % for 2016. Netherlands NL: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young data is updated yearly, averaging 27.217 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 49.245 % in 1960 and a record low of 25.326 % in 2017. Netherlands NL: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young 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. Age dependency ratio, young, is the ratio of younger dependents--people younger than 15--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

Population in The Netherlands on 1 January by sex, age, marital status, migration background and generation.

Data available from: 1996

Status of the figures: All figures in the table are final.

Changes per 20 June 2018: The figures per 1 January 2018 have been added.

Changes per 26 April 2018: - The terms 'People with a Dutch background' and 'People with a foreign background' have been revised. They have been replaced by 'Persons with a Dutch background' and 'Persons with a migration background' respectively. - The underlying coding of classifications used in this table has been adjusted. It is now in line with the standard encoding defined by CBS. The structure and data of the table have not been adjusted.

When will new figures be published? In the 2nd quarter of 2019 figures per 1 January 2019 will be added in this publication.

Curious about age demographics of your clientele in The Netherlands? Wondering about which generation can be most often seen flocking to your store? Dive deep into customer insights using our population by age group data of The Netherlands. Whether your customers are down your street or across the globe, we empower you to pinpoint the ideal demographic for your marketing campaigns or projects. Our dataset offers intricate details on this country's age distribution.

Netherlands NL: Population: Male: Ages 55-59: % of Male Population data was reported at 7.114 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 7.009 % for 2016. Netherlands NL: Population: Male: Ages 55-59: % of Male Population data is updated yearly, averaging 4.931 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.114 % in 2017 and a record low of 4.363 % in 1974. Netherlands NL: Population: Male: Ages 55-59: % of Male 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. Male population between the ages 55 to 59 as a percentage of the total male population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

Netherlands NL: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data was reported at 54.302 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 53.751 % for 2016. Netherlands NL: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data is updated yearly, averaging 49.415 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 63.843 % in 1960 and a record low of 44.779 % in 1989. Netherlands NL: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age 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. Age dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents--people younger than 15 or older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average; Relevance to gender indicator: this indicator implies the dependency burden that the working-age population bears in relation to children and the elderly. Many times single or widowed women who are the sole caregiver of a household have a high dependency ratio.

Immigration and emigration in the Netherlands and the administrative corrections by country of birth, sex, age and marital status.

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 replaced by categories based on continents and a few countries that share a specific migration history with the Netherlands. The new classification by origin is being introduced gradually in tables and publications on population by origin.

Data available from: 2020

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

Changes as from 4 July 2025: Final figures of 2024 have been added.

When will new figures be published? The final figures of 2025 will be added in the third quarter of 2026 in this publication.

This statistic shows the population aged 65 years and older in the Netherlands from 2009 to 2023, by age group. On January 1, 2023, the retired population of the Netherlands consisted of approximately 3.6 million people. This was an increase when compared to the previous years. Considering this make up of Dutch society, it is not surprising there are so many debates around increasing the retirement age. The ratio of the non-working population to the working population has decreased between 1950 and today, as this statistic shows. A recent forecast however indicates that this ratio might not decrease much further in the next 40 years, meaning the number of working people to support the non-working people will more or less remain stable.

Netherlands NL: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Old data was reported at 28.976 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 28.242 % for 2016. Netherlands NL: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Old data is updated yearly, averaging 18.134 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 28.976 % in 2017 and a record low of 14.598 % in 1960. Netherlands NL: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Old 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. Age dependency ratio, old, is the ratio of older dependents--people older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

This table includes figures about the population on the islands of Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius broken down by gender, age and country of birth on 1 January. Since 10 October 2010, the islands of Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius have been given the status of 'special municipality' of the Netherlands. On the grounds of their new status as 'special municipality', they are officially classified as public bodies of the Netherlands.

Data available from 2011 to 2024.

Status of the figures: The figures in this table are final

Changes as of 5 December 2024: None, this table was discontinued. This table is succeeded by the table Caribbean Netherlands; population, sex, age and country of birth. See section 3.

When will new figures be published? No longer applicable.

This scatter chart displays median age (year) against population (people) in Netherlands. The data is about countries per year.

This table includes figures about the population on the islands of Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius broken down by gender and age on 1 January. Since 10 October 2010, the islands of Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius have been given the status of 'special municipality' of the Netherlands. On the grounds of their new status as 'special municipality', they are officially classified as public bodies of the Netherlands. Figures over the period 2002-2010 are provided by the Central Bureau of Statistics Netherlands Antilles and Island Registries (CBS-NA). From 2010 onwards the figures are provided by Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Data available as from 2002 up to and including 2016. Status of the figures: The figures in this table are final. Changes on 6 October 2017: This table is discontinued. When will new figures be published? Not applicable anymore. This table will be replaced by 'Caribbean Netherlands; population; sex, age, marital status', see chapter 3.

Netherlands - Population, aged 15-74 was 13146.60 Thousand in December of 2021, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Netherlands - Population, aged 15-74 - last updated from the EUROSTAT on September of 2025. Historically, Netherlands - Population, aged 15-74 reached a record high of 13146.60 Thousand in December of 2021 and a record low of 11628.60 Thousand in December of 1995.

This table contains data on the inhabitants of the Netherlands by sex, age (five-year groups) and a selection of nationalities per region, 1 January. The regions included in the table are parts of the country, provinces, COROP areas and municipalities. The regional totals presented are aggregates of municipalities. In case of border changes that cross several regional borders, the classification of the municipalities is grouped according to the most recent situation. For example: The municipality of Vianen transferred from the province of South Holland to the province of Utrecht on 01-01-2002 and is grouped in the province of Utrecht in this table. Data available from: 1995 Status of the figures: All figures included in the table are final. Changes as of June 3, 2022: The figures as of January 1, 2022 have been added. Changes as of May 2, 2022: Due to the use of a new source file for 2020, changes have occurred in ten nationalities. This also has consequences for changes in some parts of the world, the European Union, the GIPS and the CEE countries in the EU, total Dutch and total non-Dutch nationality. When will new numbers come out? In the second quarter of 2023, the figures as of 1 January 2023 will be included in this publication.

This statistic shows the forecast of the population in the Netherlands from 2015 to 2060, by age. It reveals that a decreasing working population (20 and 65 years) between 2015 and 2060 has to support an increasing non-working population. Although the number of people younger than 20 will apparently remain relatively stable throughout this period, the number of people over 65 will likely grow by 1.7 million people, from 3 million in 2015 to 4.7 million in 2060. In the same period, it is predicted that the working population will decrease from 10 million to 9.5 million.

Netherlands - Unemployment by sex and age – monthly data was 8.40 % of population in the labour force in July of 2025, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Netherlands - Unemployment by sex and age – monthly data - last updated from the EUROSTAT on September of 2025. Historically, Netherlands - Unemployment by sex and age – monthly data reached a record high of 17.70 % of population in the labour force in October of 1995 and a record low of 6.60 % of population in the labour force in November of 2001.