Population growth in Q3 back at pre-COVID level

In the first two quarters, population growth was still below the level of pre-COVID year 2019. Total population growth amounted to 90.4 thousand from January to September inclusive. This is more than in the first three quarters of 2020 (57.7 thousand) but less than in 2019 (103.2 thousand).

More immigration, less emigration

Due to positive net migration - a higher number of immigrants than emigrants - the population grew by 48.7 thousand in the third quarter. In 2020, this was still 29.9 thousand. There were more immigrants compared to last year, but not as many as in the peak year 2019. Because fewer people left the Netherlands, the migration balance in Q3 was nevertheless higher than in 2019. Migration added more 18 to 24-year-olds in particular compared to previous years. The number of migrants in this age group tends to be relatively high during the summer months.

Migration balance at 78 thousand in first three quarters

In the period up to and including September 2021, 184.2 thousand immigrants entered the Netherlands, while 106.1 thousand emigrants left the country. On balance, 78.1 thousand new inhabitants were added due to external migration. This is 25.4 thousand more than in the same period in 2020, and 9.5 thousand fewer than in 2019. Although slightly more emigrants with a Dutch background left the country, overall emigration was lower than one year previously.

In the first nine months of this year, Syrians constituted the largest group of migrants (8 thousand on balance). In second place are Polish nationals (7.6 thousand on balance) with a virtually equal number of immigrants compared to last year but fewer emigrants. In third and fourth place were migrants with a migration background in countries of the former Soviet Union (4.6 thousand on balance) and in Turkey (4.3 thousand on balance). Immigration from India picked up again, but emigration was still lower than in previous years. The migration balance of migrants from the United Kingdom was negative with more people leaving than arriving. As of 2015, the number of immigrants with a migration background in the UK rose each year on balance. The number has declined again as of 2020.

More live births, more deaths

As of February, there were more live births on a monthly basis than in previous years, particularly in March and April. Relatively many births also took place in the third quarter at 47.9 thousand. As there were relatively many deaths as well (38.0 thousand), the population increase due to natural growth (births minus deaths) in Q3 was comparable to previous years. In 2021, this increase stood at 10.0 thousand, versus 9.6 thousand in 2020.

In the period up to and including September, 134.1 thousand children were born, i.e. 6.8 thousand more than in the same period last year and also more than in 2019. There were 121.8 thousand deaths, roughly equal to one year previously and 9.3 thousand more than in 2019.