Netherlands Population

The Netherlands has below-replacement fertility, so its continued growth depends on immigration, all within one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. Ageing is advancing steadily, putting pressure on housing and the labour market. The interplay of density, migration and an older population shapes its policy debates.

Netherlands is the world's 71st most populous country, home to about 18.4 million people in 2026. Set in Western Europe, its demographic path this century turns on the balance of births, deaths and migration. Population density stands at about 548 people for every square kilometre of land.

The defining marker in Netherlands's future is its peak, expected around 2042 at about 19.1 million. After that the population eases back toward 17.5 million by 2100, having passed through 19.0 million at mid-century.

Half of Netherlands is currently younger than about 41, but by 2100 the median age is projected to reach around 48, even as life expectancy improves from about 82 years. That ageing slowly changes everything from the size of the workforce to the cost of care and pensions.

With fertility near 1.43, just under the 2.1 replacement mark, natural increase is fading. Net inward migration adds to the population each year and partly offsets the low birth rate.

Read these numbers as the midpoint of a range. Under the UN's high and low fertility paths Netherlands's 2100 population could land well above or below the figures here; the medium variant is simply the central case.