Netherlands Population 2024
The Netherlands, also known as Holland, is a country located in Western Europe. It’s the 5th most densely populated country in Europe with a population density of 1,316 people per sq. miles.
As per the Statistics Netherlands, the population of the Netherlands as of 1st Nov. 2021 is 17,582,493 and the estimated population of the Netherlands in 2024 is 17,935,591 (18 million)
Source: Statistics Netherlands
Netherlands Demography
| Netherlands | 2024 Population |
| Total Population | 17,935,591 (18 million) |
| Europe Rank | 10 |
| Land Area | 33,893 sq. km (13,086 sq. mi) |
| Area Rank | 31 |
| Pop. Density | 508 people/sq. km (1,316 people per sq. mi) |
| Fertility Rate | 1.66 |
| Median Age | 43.3 Years |
| Life Expectancy | 82.78 years |
| Urban Population | 92.50% |
| Capital City | Amsterdam |
Source: Statistics Netherlands
Religion in Netherlands
Christianity is the majority religion in the Netherlands and 34.9% of the population follows Christianity. Among Christians, Catholics comprised 20.1% of the total population, and Protestants (14.8%). Protestantism in the Netherlands consists of a number of churches within various traditions. The largest of these is the Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PKN), a united church that is Calvinist and Lutheran in orientation.
Non-Christian faiths account for 11%, and the remaining 54.1% are classified as unaffiliated, which can mean agnostic, atheist, or “nothing in particular.”
Islam is the second-largest religion in the state and comprised 5.0% of the total population. Other Religions Include Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jews, and new-age religions. Hinduism is the third largest religion followed by over 1% of the population. Most of these are Indo-Surinamese.
Religion in the Netherlands
| Religion | Percent % |
| Christians | 34.9% |
| – Roman Catholic | – 20.1% |
| – Protestant | – 14.8% |
| – Other Christians | – 1-2% |
| Irreligious | 54.1% |
| Muslim | 5 % |
| Hinduism | 1% |
| Buddhist | 0.4% |
| Jews | 0.1% |
| Other Faiths | 2-3% |
Source: Statistics Netherlands and Independent studies
Netherlands Historical Population
The Population of Netherlands rose from 5 million in 1900 to 10 million in 1950 & by 2000 it reached 15 million. Since 1980 population growth is slow & it can be attributed to the low birth rate. Overall Increase is due to an increase in life expectancy & immigration to the Netherlands.
On 1 January 2016, 26,2% of persons aged 0-50 had at least one parent born in a foreign country. 11,4% of persons aged 0-50 of ‘Dutch background’ belonged to the ‘third generation, the majority descending from Western immigrants. Let’s look at the Population of the Netherlands from the year 1900 to 2020.
| Year | Population | Percentage Change |
| 1900 | 5,104,000 | – |
| 1910 | 5,858,000 | 14.80% |
| 1920 | 6,754,000 | 15.30% |
| 1930 | 7,825,000 | 15.90% |
| 1940 | 8,834,000 | 12.90% |
| 1950 | 10,026,773 | 13.50% |
| 1960 | 11,417,254 | 13.90% |
| 1970 | 12,957,621 | 13.50% |
| 1980 | 14,091,014 | 8.70% |
| 1990 | 14,892,574 | 5.70% |
| 2000 | 15,863,950 | 6.50% |
| 2010 | 16,574,989 | 4.50% |
| 2020 | 17,424,978 | 5.10% |
Source: Statistics Netherlands
Top Cities in Netherlands by Population
| # | City | Region | Population |
| 1 | Amsterdam | North Holland | 8,72,680 |
| 2 | Rotterdam | South Holland | 6,50,711 |
| 3 | The Hague | South Holland | 5,44,766 |
| 4 | Utrecht | Utrecht | 3,57,179 |
| 5 | Eindhoven | North Brabant | 2,34,235 |
| 6 | Groningen | Groningen | 2,32,826 |
| 7 | Tilburg | North Brabant | 2,19,632 |
| 8 | Almere | Flevoland | 2,11,514 |
| 9 | Breda | North Brabant | 1,84,403 |
| 10 | Nijmegen | Gelderland | 1,77,818 |
| 11 | Apeldoorn | Gelderland | 1,63,706 |
| 12 | Haarlem | North Holland | 1,62,864 |
| 13 | Arnhem | Gelderland | 1,61,260 |
| 14 | Enschede | Overijssel | 1,59,934 |
| 15 | Amersfoort | Utrecht | 1,57,286 |
| 16 | Zaanstad | North Holland | 1,56,703 |
| 17 | Haarlemmermeer | North Holland | 1,55,770 |
| 18 | ‘s-Hertogenbosch | North Brabant | 1,54,989 |
| 19 | Zwolle | Overijssel | 1,28,617 |
| 20 | Leiden | South Holland | 1,25,434 |
Dutch Diaspora
People of Dutch ancestry form an important group in several countries in North and South America. As per rough estimates, the Dutch Diaspora population is around 15 million worldwide.
As per the US Census 2020, Dutch ancestry is estimated at 3.6 million people. It also forms an important minority Group in Canada (1.1 million), Brazil (1 million), Chile, and Argentina.
read more about Dutch Ancestry in America
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