Population; households and population dynamics; from 1899

Table explanation


The most important key figures about population, households, population growth, births, deaths, migration, marriages, marriage dissolutions and change of nationality of the Dutch population.

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: 1899

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

Changes as of 15 December 2023:
None, this is a new table. This table succeeds the table Population; households and population dynamics; 1899-2019. See section 3.
The following changes have been made:
- The underlying topic folders regarding 'migration background' have been replaced by 'Born in the Netherlands' and 'Born abroad';
- The origin countries Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Turkey have been assigned to the continent of Asia (previously Europe).

When will the new figures be published?
The figures for the population development in 2023 and the population on 1 January 2024 will be published in the second quarter of 2024.

Description topics

Population on 1 January
Population:
The total number of people residing in a given area.
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 by age
Data concerning the years 1900, 1910, 1921 and 1931 are based on the results of the censuses held on 31 December 1899, 1909, 1921 and 1930.

Age:
Age on 1 January of the year of observation.
The number of whole years that have passed between someone's date of birth and 1 January of the reference year, calculated as the reference year minus 1, minus the year of birth.
Younger than 20 years
Persons younger than 20 years.
Live born children
Live born child:
A baby showing some sign of life after birth, regardless of the duration of pregnancy.
For the period 1900-1924 excluding children born alive who died before the birth was registered.

Break in series of late reports
From 2010 onwards more late reports received in the year of publication will be included in the figures for the year under review.

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.
Age of the mother, relative
Live born children by age of the mother per thousand women in that age category.

Break in series
The definition of age has been revised. Until 1950, age was determined on the last birthday, whereas from 1950 age is defined as the difference between the year of birth of the mother and the year of birth of the child (age on 31 December).
Younger than 20 years
Live born children from mothers aged 15 to 19 per 1,000 of the average number of females in that age category.