Population; key figures, 1950-2022
Explanation of symbols
Table explanation
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No longer applicable.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.
Description topics
- Population by sex
- Data refer to 1 January.
Population:
The total number of people residing in the Netherlands.
In the population statistics compiled by Statistics Netherlands the inhabitants of a given area are the people registered in the population register, whose address is located in that area.- Total population
- Males
- Females
- Population by marital status
- Data refer to 1 January.
Break in series marital status
From 2010 onwards a small shift has occurred between a number of marital statuses (fewer never married and more divorced and widowed respectively). Because information on some marital statuses was lacking for the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, 'divorced after partnership' and 'widowed after partnership' were not included in these statistics for this period. For these statistics, the marital status before the partnership was used instead, which was mostly 'never married'. From 2010 all marital statuses are available.
Population:
The total number of people residing in the Netherlands.
In the population statistics compiled by Statistics Netherlands the inhabitants of a given area are the people registered in the population register, whose address is located in that area.
Marital status:
Legal status involving someone's rights and competences as determined by legal marriage and registered partnership.
Marriage:
Legal, formally sanctioned living arrangement between two people.
Since 1 April 2001, it is legally possible for people in the Netherlands to marry a person of the same sex.
Registered partnership:
A marriage-like relationship between two people of the opposite or same sex, registered at the Register of Births, Deaths and Marriages.- Total population
- Never married
- From 2010: marital status indicating that someone was never married or never in a registered partnership.
1998 until 2010: marital status indicating that someone was never married.
Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, 'widowed after partnership' and 'divorces after partnership' were not included in this period in these statistics. For these statistics this means that the marital status before the partnership was used, which was mostly unmarried. Until 1998: marital status indicating that someone was never married.
- Married
- From 1998: legally married and partnership.
Until 1998: legally married.
Legally married:
Marital status resulting from having married legally.
Including judicial separations which are included in the category married.
Partnership:
Marital status resulting from entering into a registered partnership.
- Widowed
- From 2010: widowed after a legal marriage and widowed after a partnership.
Until 2010: widowed after a legal marriage.
Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, widowed after a partnership is not included in this period in these statistics.
Widowed after a legal marriage:
Marital status resulting from death ending a legal marriage.
Widowed after a partnership:
Marital status resulting from death ending a registered partnership.
- Divorced
- From 2010: divorced after a legal marriage and divorced after a partnership.
Until 2010: divorced after a legal marriage.
Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, divorced after partnership is not included in this period in these statistics.
Divorced after a legal marriage:
Marital status resulting from ending a legal marriage by divorce.
Excluding judicial separations which are included in the category married.
Divorced after a partnership:
Marital status resulting from ending a registered partnership other than by the death of the partner.
- Population by age
- Data refer to 1 January.
Population:
The total number of people residing in the Netherlands.
In the population statistics compiled by Statistics Netherlands the inhabitants of a given area are the people registered in the population register, whose address is located in that area.
Age:
The number of whole years that have passed since someone's date of birth and 1 January of the reference year.- Population by age, numbers
- Total population
- Younger than 20 years
- Persons aged younger than 20 years.
- 20 to 40 years
- Persons aged 20 to 40 years.
- 40 to 65 years
- Persons aged 40 to 65 years.
- 65 to 80 years
- Persons aged 65 to 80 years.
- 80 years or older
- Persons aged 80 years of over.
- Population by age, rates
- Population by age as a percentage of the total population.
- Younger than 20 years
- Persons aged younger than 20 years per 100 of the total population.
- 20 to 40 years
- Persons aged 20 to 40 years per 100 of the total population.
- 40 to 65 years
- Persons aged 40 to 65 years per 100 of the total population.
- 65 to 80 years
- Persons aged 65 to 80 years per 100 of the total population.
- 80 years or older
- Persons aged 80 years or over per 100 of the total population.
- Average age
- The arithmetic mean of all ages in the population.
- Total population
- Population by migration background
- Population:
The total number of people residing in the Netherlands.
In the population statistics compiled by Statistics Netherlands the inhabitants of a given area are the people registered in the population register, whose address is located in that area.
Migration background:
The country with which a person has the closest ties, based on his/her parents' country of birth or his/her own country of birth.
The migration background of a person with a first-generation migration background is defined as his or her country of birth.
The migration background of a person with a second-generation migration background is defined as his or her mother's country of birth, unless the mother's country of birth is the Netherlands. In that case, the migration background is defined as the father's country of birth.
Person with a first generation migration background:
Someone born abroad with at least one parent who was born abroad.
Someone with a second generation foreign background:
Someone born in the Netherlands who has at least one parent born abroad.- Total Population
- Persons with a Dutch background
- Person with a Dutch background:
A person whose parents were both born in the Netherlands.
- Population in institutional households
- Up to and including 1987 the figures refer to the situation on 31 December, 1988-1994 to the midyear situation, from 1995 onwards to the situation on 1 January.
Break in series
From 2011 onwards a new process has been used for the production of figures on household composition. This new method uses data from the municipal population register (GBA) and tax declarations of cohabiting couples. Although the results based on the new production method are in line with previous results, small shifts have occurred in the number of households by composition in 2011. The largest shift is in the number of 'Other households', that is now smaller. The number of persons in institutional households on 1 January 2011 is 12,000 higher than on 1 January 2010. About half of this increase was the result of improvements in the survey method.
Institutional household:
Household consisting of two or more people living in one accommodation whose housing and daily needs are provided professionally.
Population:
The total number of people residing in the Netherlands.
In the population statistics compiled by Statistics Netherlands the inhabitants of a given area are the people registered in the population register, whose address is located in that area. - Population growth
- The increase or decrease of the population.
Break in series external migration
As a result of an improved production process, a small shift has occurred in the figures on external migration.
From 2010 the following changes have been implemented.
- administrative entries preceding emigration are now considered as immigration;
- administrative removals followed by immigration are now considered as emigration.
Population:
The total number of people residing in the Netherlands.
In the population statistics compiled by Statistics Netherlands the inhabitants of a given area are the people registered in the population- Total population growth
- Total population growth, rate
- Total population growth per 1,000 of the total population on 1 January.
- Live births
- Live born child:
A baby showing some sign of life after birth, regardless of the duration of pregnancy.
- Deaths
- Death:
Person declared dead by an authorized doctor.
- Natural increase
- The number of live births minus the number of deaths within a given period.
Live born child:
A baby showing some sign of life after birth, regardless of the duration of pregnancy.
Death:
Person declared dead by an authorized doctor.
- Natural increase, rate
- Natural increase per 1,000 of the total average population.
Natural increase:
The number of live births minus the number of deaths within a given period.
Live born child:
A baby showing some sign of life after birth, regardless of the duration of pregnancy.
Death:
Person declared dead by an authorized doctor.
- Immigration
- People moving to the Netherlands from another country.
- Emigration including administrati...
- Emigration including net administrative corrections.
Data on emigration including net administrative corrections give a better impression of the true level of emigration than data on emigration excluding net administrative corrections.
Emigration:
People leaving for another country, reported to the municipalities.
Net administrative corrections:
Administrative entries in minus administrative removals from the municipal population register.
Administrative entry:
Decision by a municipality, at the request of the person concerned, to include that person in its population while it has no knowledge of birth, immigration or establishment of that person from another municipality in the Netherlands.
Administrative removal:
Decision by a municipality no longer to include a person in its population, once it has established that the address of the person is unknown, the person cannot be contacted and probably no longer resides in a municipality in the Netherlands.
- Net migration including administrativ...
- Net migration including net administrative corrections.
The number of people arriving minus the number of people departing, including the balance of administrative corrections.
Data on net migration including net administrative corrections give a better impression of the true level of net migration than data on net migration excluding net administrative corrections.
Net administrative corrections:
Administrative entries minus administrative removals.
Administrative entry:
Decision by a municipality, at the request of the person concerned, to include that person in its population while it has no knowledge of birth, immigration or establishment of that person from another municipality in the Netherlands.
Administrative removal:
Decision by a municipality no longer to include a person in its population, once it has established that the address of the person is unknown, the person cannot be contacted and probably no longer resides in a municipality in the Netherlands.
- Net migration (including admin..), rate
- Net migration including net administrative corrections per 1,000 of the total average population.
Net migration including net administrative corrections:
The number of people arriving minus the number of people departing, including the balance of administrative corrections.
Data on net migration including net administrative corrections give a better impression of the true level of net migration than data on net migration excluding net administrative corrections.
Administrative correction:
All entries in and removals from the municipal population register for reasons other than birth, death, arrival, departure or municipal boundary change.
Administrative entry:
Decision by a municipality, at the request of the person concerned, to include that person in its population while it has no knowledge of birth, immigration or establishment of that person from another municipality in the Netherlands.
Administrative removal:
Decision by a municipality no longer to include a person in its population, once it has established that the address of the person is unknown, the person cannot be contacted and probably no longer resides in a municipality in the Netherlands.
- Other corrections
- Entries in and removals from the municipal population register other than births, deaths, immigration, emigration, administrative corrections or municipal border changes.
- Population density
- Inhabitants per km2 land area.
Data refer to 1 January.
Population:
The total number of people residing in the Netherlands.
In the population statistics compiled by Statistics Netherlands the inhabitants of a given area are the people registered in the population register, whose address is located in that area.