Most first-time fathers in the Netherlands are in their 30s, CBS finds
In 2024, 77,000 men in the Netherlands became fathers for the first time, with an average age of 32.9, according to preliminary data released Sunday by Statistics Netherlands (CBS). The figures reflect a continuing trend of delayed fatherhood, as men are having children later in life than in previous decades.
The average age of all fathers of babies born in 2024 was 34.4 years, 2.5 years older than the average age of all mothers, which was 31.8. First-time mothers were on average 30.4 years old, 2.5 years younger than first-time fathers.
CBS noted that the age gap between mothers and fathers has remained steady over the years, even as both groups are having children at later ages. Since 2014, the average age for new fathers has increased by 0.4 years, while for mothers the increase was larger, at 0.7 years.
Almost two-thirds of men who became first-time fathers in 2024 were between the ages of 30 and 40. Specifically, 41.2 percent were between 30 and 35 years old, and 23 percent were between 35 and 40. Just over 20 percent were younger than 30, and only 4.6 percent were under 25.
On average, about 3,500 children are born each year to fathers younger than 25, based on the past five years. Among them, an estimated 350 were teenage fathers. At the other end of the spectrum, 2,500 children born in 2024 had fathers aged 50 or older, with more than one-third of those men becoming fathers for the first time.
As of Jan. 1, 2025, the Netherlands had an estimated 4.2 million fathers — including those with adult children — compared to 4.9 million mothers. The disparity is largely explained by men becoming fathers at older ages, fewer men having children, and men’s shorter average life expectancy.
The gap is reportedly especially wide among the youngest age groups. Among those under 25, there were 7,700 fathers compared to 24,000 mothers — more than a threefold difference. In the 25 to 35 age group, there were 266,500 fathers compared to 424,100 mothers. The gender gap narrows between ages 35 and 75, then widens again in older age groups reportedly due to male mortality.
Among those age 85 and older, there were 142,400 fathers compared to 238,500 mothers — more than 1.5 times as many.
CBS statistics are based on legal fathers — men who are married, in registered partnerships, or who have formally acknowledged their children. For nearly 5 percent of children born in 2024, no father had yet been recorded in the Dutch population registry at the time of birth. Many of those men allegedly acknowledge their children at a later date. For example, of all children born in 2020, 4.7 percent had no registered father that year. By 2025, that figure had dropped to 3.5 percent.
