Demography of the Netherlands

The Netherlands is the 67th most populated country in the world. As of January 2023, the Netherlands has a population of 17,821,419.[1]

Between 1900 and 1950 the population almost doubled from 5.14 to 10.11 million people. From 1950 to 2000 the population increased from 10.11 to 15.92 million people, increasing by a smaller proportion but, still, at an impressive pace for a European country, recording a growth of 57.45% over a 50-year time span.[2]

The Netherlands is the 4th most densely populated country (restricted to countries with at least 7.5 million people) in the world. It is the 5th most densely populated country in Europe; the first four are microstates. The 17,821,419 million Dutch inhabitants are concentrated on an area of 41,543 km² (16,040 sq mi) including water surface, the land surface being 33,895 km² (13,087 sq mi). This means that the country has a population density of 526/km² (1,360/sq mi). The density of 500 inhabitants/km² was reached in the first half of 2014.

As a result of these demographic characteristics, the Netherlands has had to plan its land use strictly. Since 1946 the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment has been occupied with the national coordination of land use. Because of its high population density the Netherlands has also reclaimed land from the sea by poldering. Between 1927 and 1968 an entire province - Flevoland - was created. As of May 2023 it houses 447,193 people.[3] Because of these policies, the Dutch have been able to combine high levels of population density with extremely high levels of agricultural production.

Even though the Netherlands is so densely populated, it has no municipalities with a population over one million. Nevertheless, the two largest municipalities of the country do score well over a million if the complete city region is counted, thus including the neighbouring satellite towns that often are physically connected to the main municipality. Moreover, the "four big cities" (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht) can in many ways be regarded as a single metropolitan area, the Randstad ("rim city" or "edge city") with over 7.5 million inhabitants around an agricultural "green heart" (Groene Hart).

Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2019.[4]

• One birth every 3 minutes
• One death every 4 minutes
• One net migrant every 31 minutes
• Net gain of one person every 11 minutes

[5]

Life expectancy

Life expectancy in the Netherlands since 1850

Life expectancy in the Netherlands since 1960 by gender

Sources: Our World In Data

1850–1950

Years	1850	1851	1852	1853	1854	1855	1856	1857	1858	1859	1860[15]
Life expectancy in the Netherlands	39.8	40.0	38.6	38.6	38.6	34.5	38.8	35.5	34.7	30.9	36.9

Years	1861	1862	1863	1864	1865	1866	1867	1868	1869	1870[15]
Life expectancy in the Netherlands	36.4	38.3	38.3	37.5	36.4	33.6	39.2	37.7	40.4	37.3

Years	1871	1872	1873	1874	1875	1876	1877	1878	1879	1880[15]
Life expectancy in the Netherlands	32.9	36.5	39.2	41.3	38.2	40.4	42.0	41.1	41.9	40.3

Years	1881	1882	1883	1884	1885	1886	1887	1888	1889	1890[15]
Life expectancy in the Netherlands	42.8	43.7	42.3	41.3	43.2	41.9	44.9	44.2	44.3	44.4

Years	1891	1892	1893	1894	1895	1896	1897	1898	1899	1900[15]
Life expectancy in the Netherlands	44.2	43.9	45.8	46.9	46.6	48.6	49.4	49.1	49.3	48.4

Years	1901	1902	1903	1904	1905	1906	1907	1908	1909	1910[15]
Life expectancy in the Netherlands	48.7	50.6	51.5	50.9	52.1	52.7	53.5	52.7	54.9	55.1

Years	1911	1912	1913	1914	1915	1916	1917	1918	1919	1920[15]
Life expectancy in the Netherlands	53.1	57.2	57.3	57.2	57.2	56.2	55.6	47.6	55.0	57.8

Years	1921	1922	1923	1924	1925	1926	1927	1928	1929	1930[15]
Life expectancy in the Netherlands	59.7	59.8	62.0	62.9	63.1	63.0	62.6	63.7	62.2	64.7

Years	1931	1932	1933	1934	1935	1936	1937	1938	1939	1940[15]
Life expectancy in the Netherlands	64.3	65.4	66.0	66.6	66.5	66.7	67.0	67.4	67.7	65.4

Years	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	1946	1947	1948	1949	1950[15]
Life expectancy in the Netherlands	65.3	65.8	64.4	61.3	55.4	67.6	69.5	71.1	70.3	71.4

total population: 81.9 years (2020 est.) Country comparison to the world: 30th

male: 79.7 years (2020 est.)

female: 84.3 years (2020 est.)

Age structure

Animated population pyramid of the Netherlands: 1950-2020

0-14 years: 16.11% (male 1,425,547 /female 1,358,894)

15-24 years: 11.91% (male 1,049.000 /female 1,008,763)

25-54 years: 38.47% (male 3,334,064 /female 3,313,238)

55-64 years: 13.69% (male 1,177,657/female 1,188,613)

65 years and over: 19.82% (male 1,558,241/female 1,866,380) (2020 est.)

Cities and population density

Largest municipalities in the Netherlands Statistics Netherlands[16]
	Rank	Name	Province	Pop.	Rank	Name	Province	Pop.
Amsterdam Rotterdam	1	Amsterdam	North Holland	905,234	11	Apeldoorn	Gelderland	165,648	The Hague Utrecht
	2	Rotterdam	South Holland	656,050	12	Arnhem	Gelderland	164,096
	3	The Hague	South Holland	552,995	13	Haarlem	North Holland	162,914
	4	Utrecht	Utrecht	361,924	14	Enschede	Overijssel	160,383
	5	Eindhoven	North Brabant	238,478	15	Haarlemmermeer	North Holland	159,346
	6	Groningen	Groningen	234,649	16	Amersfoort	Utrecht	158,712
	7	Tilburg	North Brabant	224,702	17	Zaanstad	North Holland	157,215
	8	Almere	Flevoland	218,096	18	's-Hertogenbosch	North Brabant	156,599
	9	Breda	North Brabant	184,716	19	Zwolle	Overijssel	130,872
	10	Nijmegen	Gelderland	179,073	20	Leeuwarden	Friesland	127,088

Functional urban areas

Population density in the Netherlands by municipality. The largest urban area, the Randstad is clearly visible along the west coast.

"Functional urban areas"[17] are a type of urban areas with large populations where commuters from nearby areas work in the core area. There are several functional urban areas officially identified in the Netherlands. The largest ones (with populations over 300,000) are listed below, which count the populations of the core city and their "commuting zones".[18]

Functional urban areas	Population (2015)
Amsterdam-Haarlem-Almere	2,751,000
Rotterdam-Dordrecht	1,805,000
The Hague-Delft	1,052,000
Utrecht	875,000
Eindhoven	736,000
Groningen	474,000
Arnhem	420,000
Enschede	401,000
Breda	367,000
Zwolle	350,000
Leiden	339,000
Nijmegen	322,000
Tilburg	310,000

The following table presents the evolution since 1900; click on "show" to display the table:[19]

Current vital statistics

Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek[21]

Period	Live births	Deaths	Natural increase
January - August 2022	111,564	111,258	+306
January - August 2023	109,529	111,446	-1,917
Difference	-2,035 (-1.82%)	+188 (+0.17%)	-2,223

Between 1590 and 1800 the estimated share of foreign-born population was consistently above 5%.[23]

According to Eurostat, in 2010 there were 1,800,000 foreign-born residents in the Netherlands, corresponding to 11.1% of the total population. Of these, 1,400,000 (8.5%) were born outside the EU (including those from Dutch colonies) and 428,000 (2.6%) were born in another EU member state. The most common countries of birth being: Belgium, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom.[24] On 1 January 2016, 26,2% of persons aged 0–50 had at least one parent born in a foreign country. 11,4% of persons aged 0–50 of 'Dutch background' belonged to the 'third generation', the majority descending from Western immigrants. The third generation constitutes persons born from two second generation immigrants or one second generation immigrant and one person with a Dutch background. First and second generation immigrants and the third generation were 34,5% of the population aged 0–50.[25]

As the result of immigration from overseas, the Netherlands have a sizeable minority of non-indigenous peoples. There is also a considerable level of emigration, in majority consisting of former immigrants. In 2005, some 121,000 people left the country, while 94,000 entered it. Out of a total of 101,150 people immigrating into the Netherlands in 2006, 66,658 were from Europe, Oceania, the Americas or Japan, and 34,492 were from other (mostly developing) countries. Out of a total of 132,470 emigrants, 94,834 were going to Europe, Oceania, the Americas or Japan and 37,636 to other countries.[26]

A large number[23] of immigrants come from countries in Western Europe, mostly from the neighbouring countries of Germany and Belgium. There were five subsequent waves of immigration to the Netherlands in recent history.

1. In the late-1940s and into the 1950s, following the end of the Second World War, people from the newly independent Republic of Indonesia repatriated or emigrated to the Netherlands - mainly Indo-European (people of mixed European and Indonesian ancestry of Dutch nationality) and supporters of the Republic of South Maluku.
2. Between 1960 and 1974, migrants from Greece, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and Morocco came to work in the Netherlands as guest workers. They were expected to return to their own country and many did, but others remained and in the 1970s and 1980s were joined by their families. Until 2004, when marriage immigration was restricted, their children usually married others from their home country.
3. After 1974, people emigrated from the newly independent Suriname and from the Netherlands Antilles, which remained part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1974, about forty thousand Surinamese migrated while still retaining Dutch citizenship; between 1975 and 1980 there was a transitional arrangement allowing migration. Antilleans have the Dutch nationality and behave like typical labour migrants, travelling to and from the country in response to the employment available.
4. During the 1970s and 1980s, the number of asylum seekers was low, consisting e.g. of Chileans fleeing from political oppression and/or persecution. In the 1990s, asylum migration sharply increased,[27] largely consisting of Yugoslavs, Somalis, Iraqis, Iranians, Ethiopians, Eritreans, Afghans and Vietnamese, fleeing war or famine.[28] Between 2000 and 2014 asylum migration strongly decreased due to the strict "Cohen Law". However, the Syrian Civil War from 2011 resulted in a large influx of Syrian asylum seekers in 2015 and 2016; about ninety thousand Syrians had been granted asylum by 2018.
5. Since the 2000s, migrant workers and their families from the newly joined EU member states in Central and Eastern Europe, including: Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, and non-EU states Moldova, Ukraine and the former Yugoslavia. In addition, a number of Spaniards, Greeks, Italians, and Portuguese also migrated due to the impact of the Great Recession in those countries. In 2005, non-Western ethnic population comprised 1.7 million individuals, about 10% of the population in the country.[29]

Illegal immigration to the Netherlands results in automatic deportation[30] but this is often not enforced for various reasons such as unknown country of origin, etc. Many Dutch provinces in 2012 had quotas for deporting illegal immigrants.[31][32][33][34]

By 2017, persons with an immigration background, both western and non-western, formed a majority in Amsterdam (2011), Rotterdam (2013) and The Hague, the three largest cities of the Netherlands.[35]

In 2005, the governmental Sociaal en Cultureel Planbureau in its annual report, noted recurring integration problems for ethnic minorities. While during the economic boom of the 1990s their unemployment and dependence on welfare had strongly decreased, the economic downturn between 2001 and 2004 disproportionally affected immigrant groups. This would be explained by their functioning as a labour reserve, by their lower educational levels and by lower language skills. The report also noted that per capita social interactions between native Dutch and immigrant populations tended to decline over time, partly explainable by the size growth of immigrant groups. Integration levels strongly varied between groups. Surinamese and Antilleans were well economically integrated, but the latter less so culturally. Cultural integration was limited for Turks, but better for Moroccans. Of the asylum seekers, Somalis were among the least integrated into Dutch society, while Iranians were the best integrated with the highest education levels and modern lifestyles. Though the educational levels of the second generation were a significant improvement over those of the first generation, they still lagged behind the native Dutch who themselves on average had been attending ever higher school types. While half of all native Dutch pupils in 2005 proceeded to higher secondary education (HAVO and VWO), for Turks and Moroccans the share was a fifth and for Somali pupils even lower.[29]

In 2007, non-Western groups were generally socio-economically disadvantaged and of the four largest non-Western groups, Turks and Moroccans were the most disadvantaged. In 2006 38.7% of Moroccans and 43.9% of Turks aged 15–64 were in employment, their unemployment rate was about four times the level of the native Dutch (17.2% for Moroccans and 15.1% for Turks), and 30% received some type of social welfare.[23]

After 2008, the financial crisis and the eurocrisis again hit immigrant groups particularly hard. In 2012, at 12% non-Western migrants were six times more likely than native Dutch to receive social welfare benefits, with 2% for the Dutch.[36]

Western and non-Western fraction of low-income households and source of income. Data sourced from Statistics Netherlands.[37]

According to a 2010 Statistics Netherlands report, the third generation of non-Western immigrants was predominantly young with 80% being younger than 15, while growing with 10% each year. The third generation have a similar employment rate as the native Dutch and receive a similar amount of social benefits. The third non-Western generation follow adult education more frequently than both the native Dutch and non-Western immigrants. The non-Western immigrant population as a whole has 1.5 to 2 times the benefit dependence compared to the natives. The non-Western third generation had a rate slightly higher than the native Dutch as crime suspects, but lower than for non-Western immigrants as a whole.[38][39]

According to Statistics Netherlands, nearly 53% of refugee households have a low income, six times the Netherlands average (8.2%).[37] For Syrian and Eritrean households the share is about 80%. At 33% the poverty risk is lowest among Iranian refugee households. The group of Syrian households at risk of poverty grew from ten thousand (76% of all Syrian households in 2016) to eighteen thousand (79% of all Syrian households) in 2018. Households of Polish, Romanian or Bulgarian origin have a greater than average risk of poverty even though households from these Eastern European countries generally depend on work for their income. Migrant workers from Eastern Europe generally perform low-skilled work while migrants from Western Europe are often highly educated.[37]

Immigrants from foreign countries are divided into several ethnic groups. For example, there are both Russians and Chechens from Russia, Turks and Kurds from Turkey, Serbs and Albanians from Serbia and immigrants from Iran are divided into Persians, Azeris and Kurds.[40]

National origins

Population of the Netherlands by country of birth

Pie chart showing the breakdown of the Netherlands by national origin (2022)

  Dutch (74.77%)

  Turks (2.44%)

  Moroccans (2.38%)

  Surinamese (2.05%)

  Indos (1.99%)

  Germans (1.95%)

  Poles (1.26%)

  Curaçao (0.77%)

  Belgians (0.7%)

  Other (11.69%)

Further information: Integration law for new immigrants to the Netherlands

As of 1 January 2022, 4 438 900 citizens are of non-Dutch/Frisian origin. A majority of these (50,86%) are from seven backgrounds alone: Turks (inc. Kurds), Moroccans (inc. Berbers), Surinamese, Indonesians (inc. Moluccans), Germans, Poles and Curaçao.[41]

With the huge expansion of the European Union during the 2000s, the Netherlands has seen a rise in the number of immigrants coming from new member states. Migrant workers from these countries are estimated to be about 100,000 as of 2007.[42] Legal migrants from new EU-member states doubled between 2007–11 to 200,000,[43] with estimates totaling up to 300,000. Of the Poles who initially moved to the Netherlands in 2004, about a quarter had returned to Poland by 2006.[44] In addition, a large number of Syrians moved to the Netherlands in the 2010s mostly as refugees, with the population increasing seven-fold between 2014 and 2019. Both Poles and Syrians have overtaken the population of Antilleans during the decade.[41] More than 36,000 Roma live in the Netherlands.[45] Dutch Roma, Sinti and Dutch Jews were decimated by the Holocaust.[46][47] However, the Jewish population has seen growth in the Netherlands in recent years.[48]

As of 1 January 2022:[41]

National origins/Migration background	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012	2010
Dutch (& Frisians)	13 151 772 (74.77%)	13 169 507 (75.36%)	13 186 880 (75.75%)	13 196 025 (76.36%)	13 209 225 (76.88%)	13 218 754 (77.39%)	13 226 829 (77.90%)	13 235 405 (78.31%)	13 234 545 (78.64%)	13 236 494 (78.89%)	13 236 618 (79.12%)	13 215 458 (79.73%)
Turks (& Kurds)	429 978 (2.444%)	422 030 (2.415%)	416 864 (2.395%)	409 877 (2.37%)	404 459 (2.35%)	400 367 (2.34%)	397 471 (2.34%)	396 555 (2.35%)	396 414 (2.36%)	392 923 (2.34%)	392 923 (2.35%)	384 164 (2.32%)
Moroccans (& Berbers)	419 272 (2.38%)	414 186 (2.37%)	408 864 (2.35%)	402 492 (2.33%)	396 539 (2.31%)	391 088 (2.29%)	385 761 (2.27%)	380 755 (2.25%)	374 996 (2.23%)	368 838 (2.20%)	362 954 (2.17%)	349 270 (2.11%)
Surinamese	359 814 (2.05%)	358 266 (2.05%)	356 402 (2.05%)	353 909 (2.05%)	351 681 (2.05%)	349 978 (2.05%)	349 022 (2.06%)	348 662 (2.06%)	348 291 (2.07%)	344 734 (2.05%)	344 734 (2.06%)	342 016 (2.06%)
Indos (& Moluccans)	349 301 (1.986%)	352 266 (2.016%)	356 029 (2.045%)	358 773 (2.08%)	361 594 (2.10%)	364 328 (2.13%)	366 849 (2.16%)	369 661 (2.19%)	372 233 (2.21%)	374 847 (2.23%)	377 618 (2.26%)	382 319 (2.31%)
Germans	342 925 (1.95%)	345 746 (1.98%)	349 284 (2.006%)	351 552 (2.03%)	354 136 (2.06%)	356 875 (2.09%)	360 116 (2.12%)	364 125 (2.15%)	368 512 (2.19%)	?	?	379 017 (2.29%)
Poles	220 980 (1.26%)	209 278 (1.2%)	198 024 (1.14%)	185 497 (1.07%)	173 050 (1.01%)	161 158 (0.94%)	149 831 (0.88%)	137 794 (0.82%)	123 003 (0.73%)	111 121 (0.66%)	100 775 (0.60%)	77 178 (0.47%)
Antilleans	165 477 (0.94%)	160 429 (0.92%)	158 487 (0.91%)	155 492 (0.90%)	153 469 (0.90%)	150 981 (0.89%)	148 926 (0.88%)	146 855 (0.87%)	145 499 (0.87%)	143 992 (0.86%)	138 113 (0.83%)	134 486 (0.82%)
Syrians	126 260 (0.72%)	113 126 (0.65%)	105 440 (0.61%)	98 090 (0.57%)	90 771 (0.53%)	72 903 (0.43%)	43 838 (0.26%)	22 568 (0.13%)	13 744 (0.08%)	11 665 (0.07%)	11 025 (0.07%)	10 263 (0.06%)
Belgians	123 136 (0.7%)	122 197 (0.7%)	121 019 (0.695%)	119 769 (0.69%)	118 725 (0.69%)	117 495 (0.69%)	116 389 (0.69%)	115 687 (0.68%)	?	?	?	?
Former Soviets[lower-alpha 1]	?	110 877		92 128 (0.53%)		84 498 (0.49%)	80 013 (0.47%)	76 102 (0.45%)	?	?	?	?
British	97 844 (0.56%)	97 614 (0.56%)		91 154 (0.53%)	88 390 (0.51%)	86 293 (0.51%)	84 466 (0.50%)	82 879 (0.49%)	?	?	?	?
Former Yugoslavs[lower-alpha 2]	?	91 951		87 536 (0.51%)		85 504 (0.50%)	84 243 (0.50%)	83 261 (0.49%)	?	?	?	?
Chinese	84 453 (0.48%)	81 735 (0.47%)		77 648 (0.45%)	74 234 (0.43%)	71 229 (0.42%)	68 697 (0.40%)	66 088 (0.39%)	?	?	?	?
Iraqis	67 757 (0.39%)	66 216 (0.38%)		63 008 (0.36%)	61 255 (0.36%)	59 497 (0.35%)	56 269 (0.33%)	?	?	?	?	?
Indians	65 399 (0.37%)	58 460 (0.33%)		48 724 (0.28%)		36 818 (0.22%)	32 682 (0.19%)	?	?	?	?	?
Italians	64 398 (0.37%)	61 367 (0.35%)		56 645 (0.33%)	53 703 (0.31%)	50 925 (0.30%)	48 366 (0.28%)	?	?	?	?	?
Afghans	54 991 (0.31%)	51 830 (0.3%)		49 122 (0.28%)	47 776 (0.28%)	46 701 (0.27%)	44 339 (0.26%)	?	?	?	?	?
Spaniards	54 269 (0.31%)	50 466 (0.29%)		46 741 (0.27%)		42 926 (0.25%)	41 572 (0.24%)	?	?	?	?	?
French	52 389 (0.3%)	50 207 (0.29%)		47 009 (0.27%)	45 558 (0.27%)	43 836 (0.26%)	42 070 (0.25%)	?	?	?	?	?
Iranians (Persians, Azeris and Kurds)	52 099 (0.3%)	49 723 (0.29%)		44 379 (0.26%)	42 464 (0.25%)	40 893 (0.24%)	38 458 (0.23%)	?	?	?	?	?
Bulgarians	50 305 (0.29%)	44 874 (0.26%)	40 216 (0.23%)	34 809 (0.20%)		27 729 (0.16%)	25 520 (0.15%)	?	?	?	?	?
Americans	49 246 (0.28%)	47 408 (0.27%)		44 399 (0.26%)		40 022 (0.23%)	38 494 (0.23%)	?	?	?	?	?
Romanians	48 563 (0.28%)	43 161 (0.25%)	39 340 (0.225%)	34 185 (0.20%)		25 551 (0.15%)	23 020 (0.14%)	?	?	?	?	?
Somalis	41 064 (0.23%)	40 701 (0.23%)	40 251 (0.23%)	39 947 (0.23%)	39 737 (0.23%)	39 457 (0.23%)	39 465 (0.23%)	?	?	?	?	?
Bosnians	39 265 (0.22%)	38 927 (0.22%)	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
Brazilians	38 125 (0.22%)	35 285 (0.2%)	33 348 (0.19%)	30 104 (0.17%)		24 725 (0.14%)	23 675 (0.14%)	?	?	?	?	?
South Africans ( Afrikaners)	31 693 (0.18%)	28 562 (0.16%)		23 738 (0.14%)		20 859 (0.12%)	19 877 (0.12%)	?	?	?	?	?
Greeks	31 480 (0.18%)	28 856 (0.16%)	28 100 (0.16%)	25 709 (0.15%)		22 141 (0.13%)	20 769 (0.12%)	?	?	?	?	?
Portuguese	31 306 (0.18%)	29 092 (0.17%)	28 802 (0.17%)	27 450 (0.16%)		25 637 (0.15%)	24 930 (0.15%)	?	?	?	?	?
Egyptians	29 483 (0.17%)	28 399 (0.16%)		26 152 (0.15%)		23 956 (0.14%)	23 198 (0.14%)	?	?	?	?	?
Ethiopians	28 635 (0.16%)	27 139 (0.15%)		23 777 (0.14%)		19 528 (0.11%)	16 347 (0.10%)	?	?	?	?	?
Hungarians	28 210 (0.16%)	26 853 (0.15%)		24 898 (0.14%)		22 870 (0.13%)	22 080 (0.13%)	?	?	?	?	?
Pakistanis	27 261 (0.15%)	25 938 (0.15%)		23 855 (0.14%)	22 897 (0.13%)	22 137 (0.13%)	21 447 (0.13%)	?	?	?	?	?
Ghanaians	26 694 (0.15%)	25 999 (0.15%)		24 460 (0.14%)		23 430 (0.14%)	23 168 (0.14%)	?	?	?	?	?
Filipinos	26 658 (0.15%)	25 365 (0.14%)		23 128 (0.13%)	22 000 (0.13%)	20 937 (0.12%)	20 073 (0.12%)	?	?	?	?	?
Vietnamese (Kinh)	25 135 (0.14%)	24 594 (0.14%)		23 488 (0.14%)		22 023 (0.13%)	21 435 (0.13%)	?	?	?	?	?
Thai	23 390 (0.13%)	22 642 (0.13%)		21 364 (0.12%)		20 106 (0.12%)	19 513 (0.11%)	?	?	?	?	?
Cape Verdeans	23 150 (0.13%)	22 980 (0.13%)		22 632 (0.13%)		22 285 (0.13%)	22 157 (0.13%)	?	?	?	?	?
Colombians	21 853 (0.12%)	20 515 (0.12%)		18 351 (0.11%)		16 607 (0.10%)	15 892 (0.09%)	?	?	?	?	?
Hong Kongers	18 363 (0.1%)	18 332 (0.10%)		18 367 (0.11%)		18 357 (0.11%)	18 300 (0.11%)	?	?	?	?	?
Australians	17 722 (0.10%)	17 688 (0.10%)		17 349 (0.10%)		16 597 (0.10%)	16 127 (0.09%)	?	?	?	?	?
Canadians	17 266 (0.1%)	16 997 (0.10%)		16 614 (0.10%)	16 240 (0.09%)	15 944 (0.09%)	15 625 (0.09%)	?	?	?	?	?
Austrians	16 216 (0.09%)	16 130 (0.09%)		16 055 (0.09%)		15 777 (0.09%)	15 674 (0.09%)	?	?	?	?	?
Rest of Sub-Saharan Africa	?			108 621 (0.63%)		97 026 (0.57%)	91 797 (0.54%)	?	?	?	?	?
Rest of Europe	?			77 245 (0.45%)		68 592 (0.40%)	65 849 (0.39%)	?	?	?	?	?
Rest of Americas (except Caribbean)	?			52 425 (0.30)		47 048 (0.28%)	45 256 (0.27%)	?	?	?	?	?
Rest of North Africa and Middle East	?			55 180 (0.32%)		46 231 (0.27%)	44 059 (0.26%)	?	?	?	?	?
Rest of East and Southeast Asia	?			38 279 (0.22%)		34 562 (0.20%)	33 473 (0.20%)	?	?	?	?	?
Rest of Caribbean	?			28 861 (0.17%)		21 514 (0.13%)	20 956 (0.12%)	?	?	?	?	?
Rest of South Asia	?			18 672 (0.11%)		17 448 (0.10%)	16 762 (0.10%)	?	?	?	?	?
Rest of Oceania	?			6 479 (0.04%)		6 062 (0.04%)	5 916 (0.03%)	?	?	?	?	?
Others	?							1 094 826 (6.48%)	1 587 433 (9.43%)	1 437 462 (8.57%)	1 437 462 (8.59%)	1 387 255 (8.37%)
Total	17 590 672	17 475 415	17 407 575	17 282 163	17 181 084	17 081 507	16 979 120	16 900 726	16 829 289	16 779 575	16 730 348	16 577 612

• Population pyramids of background groups
• 
  Dutch background population pyramid in 2022
• 
  Migration background: Total
• 
  1st generation migrant background
• 
  2nd generation (both parents born abroad) migrant background
• 
  2nd generation partial (one parent born abroad) migrant background
• 
  Europe (total foreign/non-Dutch) migrant background
• 
  Americas (total foreign/non-Dutch) migrant background
• 
  Asia (total foreign/non-Dutch) migrant background
• 
  Africa (total foreign/non-Dutch) migrant background

Region of the World	2022	2021	2019	2018	2017	2016
Netherlands	13 151 772 (74.77%)	13 169 507 (75.36%)	13 196 025 (76.36%)	13 209 225 (76.88%)	13 218 754 (77.39%)	13 226 829 (77.90%)
Europe (Except Netherlands)	1 889 704 (10.74%)	1 830 696 (10.48%)	1 318 382 (7.63%)		1 237 807 (7.25%)	1 204 908 (7.10%)
Asia	1 023 304 (5.82%)	985 977 (5.64%)	985 977 (5.64%)
Americas	751 689 (4.27%)	733 401 (4.2%)
Africa	749 780 (4.26%)	731 444 (4.19%)	731 444 (4.19%)
North Africa and Middle East			1 148 300 (6.64%)		1 081 636 (6.33%)	1 033 393 (6.09%)
East and South East Asia			561 047 (3.25%)		551 542 (3.23%)	548 340 (3.23%)
Caribbean and Suriname			538 262 (3.11%)		524 961 (3.07%)	520 959 (3.07%)
Sub-Saharan Africa			243 175 (1.41%)		222 585 (1.30%)	212 811 (1.25%)
Americas (Except Caribbean and Suriname)			161 893 (0.94%)		144 346 (0.85%)	138 942 (0.82%)
South Asia			91 251 (0.53%)		76 403 (0.45%)	70 891 (0.42%)
Oceania	24 423 (0.14%)	24 390 (0.14%)	22 828 (0.14%)		22 659 (0.13%)	22 043 (0.13%)

Immigrants and people of migrant backgrounds

Nationality	Population (2022)[49]
Turkey	429,978
Morocco	419,272
Suriname	359,814
Indonesia	349,301
Germany	342,925
Poland	220,980
Syria	126,260
Belgium	123,136
United Kingdom	97,844
China	84,453
Iraq	67,757
India	65,399
Italy	55,001
Afghanistan	54,991
Spain	54,269
France	52,389
Iran	52,099
Bulgaria	50,305
United States	49,246
Romania	48,563
Somalia	41,064
Bosnia and Herzegovina	39,265
Brazil	38,125
South Africa	31,693
Greece	31,480
Portugal	31,306
Egypt	29,483
Ethiopia	28,635
Hungary	28,210
Pakistan	27,261
Ghana	26,694
Philippines	26,658
Cape Verde	23,150
Thailand	23,390
Colombia	21,853
Hong Kong	18,363
Australia	17,722
Canada	17,266
Austria	16,216

Net immigrants in the Netherlands in 2022[50]

Rank	Country	Number	Percentage
1	Ukraine	82,767	37
2	Syria	16,276	7.2
3	Turkey	12,040	5.4
4	India	10,903	4.9
5	Poland	10,025	4.5
6	Romania	6,043	2.7
7	Bulgaria	5,527	2.5
8	South Africa	4,616	2
9	Afghanistan	3,278	1.7
10	Greece	3,270	1.7
	Top 10 total	154,745	69.1
	Other	69,053	30.9
	Total	223,798	100

Unemployment, youth ages 15–24

total: 7.2%. Country comparison to the world: 130th

male: 7.7%

female: 6.6% (2018 est.)

In 2013, Statistics Netherlands found that 26% of the population identified as Roman Catholic, 16% as Protestant, 5% as Muslim, and 6% as "other" (the last includes other Christian denominations, Hindus 0.6%, Jews 0.1%, and Buddhists 0.4%). The agency interviewed 355,237 people in the period 2010–2013. [52] In 2019, the Central Bureau of Statistics reported that for the first time non-religious people were in the majority in the Netherlands. Only 49% of people older than 15 years reported to be religious; in 2012 that was still 54%. The largest religion was still Catholicism (24%), while 5% identified with Islam.[53]

The main language is Dutch, while Frisian (known as West Frisian outside of the Netherlands) is also a recognized language in the province of Friesland and is used by the government and schools there. Several dialects of Low Saxon (Nedersaksisch in Dutch) are spoken in much of the north and east and are recognized by the Netherlands as regional languages according to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Another group of dialects granted the status of regional language is Limburgish, which is spoken in the south-eastern province of Limburg. Major immigrant languages are Indonesian, Turkish, Arabic, Berber, Papiamento, German and Polish.

• Dutch people
• Islam in the Netherlands
• Immigration to Europe
• List of countries by immigrant population
• Netherlands
• Indo people

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Demographics of the Netherlands.

• CIA World Factbook data
• CBS Dutch Bureau of Statistics