Birth; key figures, 1950-2022
Explanation of symbols
Table explanation
Key figures on fertility, live and stillborn children and multiple births among inhabitants of The Netherlands.
Available selections:
- Live born children by sex;
- Live born children by age of the mother (31 December), in groups;
- Live born children by birth order from the mother;
- Live born children by marital status of the mother;
- Live born children by migration background of the mother;
- Stillborn children by duration of pregnancy;
- Births: single and multiple;
- Average number of children per female;
- Average number of children per male;
- Average age of the mother at childbirth by birth order from the mother;
- Average age of the father at childbirth by birth order from the mother.
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
Most of the data is available as of 1950 with the exception of the live born children by migration background of the mother (from 1996), stillborn children by duration of pregnancy (24+) (from 1991), average number of children per male (from 1996) and the average age of the father at childbirth (from 1996).
Status of the figures:
All data recorded in this publication are final data.
Changes per 6 November 2023:
None, this table was discontinued.
When will new figures be published?
No longer applicable. This table is succeeded by the table 'Births; key figures'. See section 3.
Description topics
- Live born children
- Live born child:
A baby showing some sign of life after birth, regardless of the duration of pregnancy.
Lesbian parenthood:
The law on lesbian parenthood came into effect on 1 April 2014. From April 2014 onwards the female partner of the biological mother may become the legal parent of the child without a legal adoption procedure. The same data for both mothers are available in the municipal population register.
Statistics Netherlands does not have information about which of the mothers is the biological mother. To obtain data about, for example, the age, number of children and ethnic background of the mother, Statistics Netherlands selects one of the mothers at random.
Lesbian parenthood occurs in less than 0.2% of all births.- Total live born children
- Crude birth rate
- Live born children per thousand of the average number of inhabitants.
- Stillborn children by duration of pre...
- Stillborn children by duration of pregnancy.
Stillborn child:
Baby born after a pregnancy lasting at least 24 weeks (prior to 1 July 1991 this was 28 weeks) who showed no sign of life after birth such as breathing, activity of the heart or muscles.
Lesbian parenthood:
The law on lesbian parenthood came into effect on 1 April 2014. From April 2014 onwards the female partner of the biological mother may become the legal parent of the child without a legal adoption procedure. The same data for both mothers are available in the municipal population register.
Statistics Netherlands does not have information about which of the mothers is the biological mother. To obtain data about, for example, the age, number of children and ethnic background of the mother, Statistics Netherlands selects one of the mothers at random.
Lesbian parenthood occurs in less than 0.2% of all births.- Stillborn children (24+)
- Stillborn children after a pregnancy of at least 24 weeks.
Available from 1991.
- Stillborn children (28+)
- Stillborn children after a pregnancy of at least 28 weeks.
- Confinements: single and multiple
- Deliveries after a pregnancy lasting at least 28 weeks irrespective of viability of child.
Lesbian parenthood:
The law on lesbian parenthood came into effect on 1 April 2014. From April 2014 onwards the female partner of the biological mother may become the legal parent of the child without a legal adoption procedure. The same data for both mothers are available in the municipal population register.
Statistics Netherlands does not have information about which of the mothers is the biological mother. To obtain data about, for example, the age, number of children and ethnic background of the mother, Statistics Netherlands selects one of the mothers at random.
Lesbian parenthood occurs in less than 0.2% of all births.- Single confinements
- Deliveries of one child.
- Multiple confinements
- Deliveries of two or more children out of the same pregnancy.
- Total multiple confinements
- Average age of the mother
- Average age of the mother at childbirth.
Average age:
The arithmetic mean of all ages.
Age mother:
The number of whole years that have passed between the mother's date of birth and 31 December of the year of birth of her child.- At 1st birth
- Average age of the mother at childbirth, first live born children from the mother.
Live born child:
A baby showing some sign of life after birth, regardless of the duration of pregnancy.
- Average age of the father
- Average age of the father at childbirth.
Available from 1996.
Average age:
The arithmetic mean of all ages.
Ages of unknown fathers are estimates.
Age father:
The number of whole years that have passed between the father's date of birth and 31 December of the year of birth of his child.
Ages of unknown fathers are estimates.- At 1st birth from the mother
- Average age of the father at childbirth for all live born first children from the mother.
Live born child:
A baby showing some sign of life after birth, regardless of the duration of pregnancy.