78 thousand Dutch men celebrate first Father’s Day
(English subtitles available)
The total male adult population in the Netherlands (6.7 million) includes approximately 4.1 million fathers. For various reasons, there are fewer fathers than mothers (4.8 million): first-time fathers are on average older than first-time mothers; slightly more men than women are childless; male life expectancy is lower than female; and some children are born to unknown fathers.
| Fathers | Mothers | |
|---|---|---|
| 15 to 24 yrs | 10.1 | 35.2 |
| 25 to 34 yrs | 293.1 | 466.3 |
| 35 to 44 yrs | 697 | 828.5 |
| 45 to 54 yrs | 953.6 | 1030.4 |
| 55 to 64 yrs | 874.5 | 928.3 |
| 65 to 74 yrs | 756.4 | 808.1 |
| 75 to 84 yrs | 382.3 | 480.2 |
| 85 yrs or older | 103.4 | 207.8 |
Fewer fathers in youngest and oldest age groups
With three and a half times as many mothers as fathers, the widest gap is found in the age category under 25. It shows that, on average, men start families at an older age than women. In the 25-34 age bracket, there are one and a half times as many mothers as fathers. The gap is narrower in the more advanced age groups up to 75 years but subsequently widens again, mainly due to the lower life expectancy among men. Beyond the age of 85, there are twice as many mothers as fathers.| First child | Next children | |
|---|---|---|
| Younger than 25 yrs | 4.171 | 1.183 |
| 25 to 29 yrs | 19.36 | 10.779 |
| 30 to 34 yrs | 29.889 | 31.876 |
| 35 to 39 yrs | 15.841 | 31.529 |
| 40 to 44 yrs | 5.811 | 13.096 |
| 45 to 49 yrs | 2.109 | 4.41 |
| 50 yrs or older | 0.911 | 1.555 |
Father on average three years older than mother
In 2016, the average age of first-time fathers was 32.6 years, three years older than the first-time mothers. The average paternal age among all births last year was 34.1 years, also three years older than the average mother. Nearly two-thirds of the 78 thousand new fathers were aged between 30 – 40, over 7 percent were between 40 – 44, while 1 percent were over age 50.Fathers not always known
Not all fathers are included in the figures. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) only counts legal fathers, i.e. those who are married or in a registered partnership or who have officially acknowledged their child. In the year of birth, approximately 5 percent of fathers are unknown. In many cases, the father will still acknowledge paternity at a later date.Sources
- StatLine - Population and population dynamics
- StatLine - Birth; key figures
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