Population; key figures

CONTENTS

1. General information
2. Definitions and explanation of symbols
3. Links to relevant tables and articles
4. Description of the survey
5. More information

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

Key figures on the population of the Netherlands.

The following information is available:
- Population by sex;
- Population by marital status;
- Population by age (groups);
- Population by origin;
- Private households;
- Persons in institutional households;
- Population growth;
- Population density.

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: 1950
Figures on population by origin are only available from 2022 at this moment. The periods 1996 through 2021 will be added to the table at a later time.

Status of the figures:
All the figures are final.

Changes as of 17 July 2024:
Final figures with regard to population growth for 2023 and final figures of the population on 1 January 2024 have been added.

Changes as of 26 April 2023:
None, this is a new table. This table succeeds the table Population; key figures; 1950-2022. See section 3.
The following changes have been implemented compared to the discontinued table:
- The topic folder 'Population by migration background' has been replaced by 'Population by origin';
- The underlying topic folders regarding 'first and second generation migration background' have been replaced by 'Born in the Netherlands' and 'Born abroad';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 new figures be published? 
In the last quarter of 2025 final figures with regard to population growth for 2024 and final figures of the population on 1 January 2025 will be added.

2. DEFINITIONS AND EXPLANATION OF SYMBOLS

Definitions:

Age
The number of whole years that have passed since someone's date of birth and 1 January of the selected year in this publication.

Country of origin
Characteristic indicating in which country a person was born or where their parents were born.
The origin of persons born abroad is determined by their own country of birth. For people born in the Netherlands, the origin is determined by the parents’ country of birth. When both parents are born abroad, the mother’s country of birth is leading in determining origin. The birth records of the mother are more often known than those of the father. When the mother was born in the Netherlands or the mother’s country of birth is unknown, the father’s country of birth is used.

Institutional household
Household consisting of two or more people living in one accommodation whose housing and daily needs are provided professionally.

Marriage
Legal, formally sanctioned living arrangement between two people.
Since 1 April 2001, it is legally possible for people in the Netherlands to marry a person of the same sex.

Marital status
Legal status involving someone's rights and competences as determined by legal marriage and registered partnership.

Population
The total number of people residing in The Netherlands.
Only persons recorded in the population register of a Dutch municipality are included in the population. In principle, every person who lives in the Netherlands for an indefinite period is included in the population register of the municipality. Persons belonging to the population of the Netherlands for whom no permanent place of residence can be designated, are included in the population register of the municipality of The Hague. The population registers do not include the persons living in the Netherlands to whom exemption rules apply with regard to inclusion in the population registers (for example diplomats and NATO military personnel) and persons without legal residence in the Netherlands.

Population density
Inhabitants on 1 January per km2 land area.

Population growth
The increase or decrease of the population.

Private household
A collection of one or more people sharing the same living space, who provide their own everyday needs in a private, non-commercial way.

Registered partnership
A marriage-like relationship between two people of the opposite or same sex, registered at the Register of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Explanation of symbols:

Empty cell	: figure not applicable
. 		: figure is unknown, insufficiently reliable or confidential
*		: provisional figure 
**		: revised provisional figure

3. LINKS TO RELEVANT TABLES AND ARTICLES

Relevant tables:
Population; sex, age, country of origin, country of birth, 1 January
Population; key figures; 1950-2022

Relevant article:
New classification of population by origin

General information on population statistics is available at the themepage Population.

4. SOURCES AND METHODS

Break in series of (persons in) private households
As a result of the improved survey method for persons in institutional households, a break in series has occurred as of 2014 in the number of single-person households/single persons. Around 35 thousand persons mainly categorised as single persons according to the previous method have shifted to institutional households. As a result, the number of single persons only rose by a few thousand between 2013 and 2014. Between 2012 and 2013, the increase was still 41 thousand persons. It also caused the total increase in the number of households to fall from 57 thousand between 2012 and 2013, to 21 thousand between 2013 and 2014. As of 2011, a new production method has been used to compile household data. To determine the household composition, this method also uses data on cohabiting couples from the Tax and Customs Administration in addition to data from the Personal Records Database (BRP). The results based on the new method are in line with previous results, although from 2011 there are some minor shifts between household composition categories. The biggest shift concerns the number of 'other households' and 'unmarried couples'. In 2011, the number of 'other households' was 10 thousand lower than in 2010. Correspondingly, the number of unmarried couples was 10 thousand higher.

Break in series of (persons in) institutional households
Up to and including 2012, data on institutional households were based on address information provided by municipalities. As of 2014, the data have been taken from secondary surveys. 2013 is an intermediate year. The starting point for 2013 was the address information for 2012, supplemented by secondary sources; the quality of data for 2013 may therefore be slightly lower. The main data sources from 2014 onwards are data on individuals who receive residential care under the Long-term Care Act (WLZ, previously the Exceptional Medical Expenses Act, AWBZ) and for which a personal contribution was paid and institutional addresses based on the website zorgkaartnederland.nl. Institutional households are covered better with the method used from 2014 onwards. Furthermore, from 2014 onwards, institutional households also include asylum seekers that live in asylum reception centres and are registered as a resident in the Personal Records Database (BRP). As a result of these changes, 249 thousand persons were counted as members of institutional households in 2014, an estimated 35 thousand more than would be counted using the former method. As of 2011, a new production method has been used to compile household data. This new method uses data on cohabiting couples from the Tax and Customs Administration in addition to data from the Personal Records Database. The number of persons in institutional households was nearly 11 thousand higher on 1 January 2011 than on 1 January 2010. Around half of this increase was due to improvements in the survey method. 

Break in series of population by marital status
As of 2010, a small shift has occurred between the different marital statuses (fewer never married and more divorced and widowed, resprectivly). This is because information on some marital statuses is not available for the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands. The marital statuses statuses 'divorced after partnership' and 'widowed after partnership' were therefore not included in these statistics for this period. For these figures, the marital status before the partnership was used instead, which in most cases was 'never married'. As of 2010, all marital statuses are available.

Break in series of external migration
Due to an improved production process, a small shift has occurred in the figures on external migration.
As of 2010, the following changes have been made:
- administrative entries preceded by emigration are now considered as immigration
- administrative removals followed by immigration are now considered as emigration

Break in series of late reports
As of 2010, more late reports received in the year of publication are included in the figures for the year under review. For a description of late reports and the impact on figures in the table, see the survey description Population statistics.

For a description of the surveys see Population statistics and Household statistics (Dutch only).

Data from 2014 in this table are derived from Stelsel van Sociaal-statistische Bestanden (SSB), only available in Dutch.

5. FURTHER INFORMATION

Infoservice

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