Fewer than 5% of Dutch population still alive who witnessed WWII’s end

Fewer than 5 percent of the Dutch population, just over 800,000 people, are still alive today and witnessed the end of World War II, according to analysis by the ANP using data from Statistics Netherlands.

Of this group, roughly 360,000 were at least 5 years old, making it possible for them to recall the liberation, while fewer than 1,500 were aged 20 or above at the time.

According to a forecast by Statistics Netherlands, the number of people alive who witnessed the 1945 liberation is expected to drop to roughly 200,000 by 2035, down from about 1.9 million a decade ago.

Findings released in late April from the annual Freedom Survey by the National Committee for 4 and 5 May indicate that a clear majority of Dutch residents view National Remembrance Day (May 4) and Liberation Day (May 5) as important or very important, a proportion that has stayed almost the same since 2025.

Despite these findings, it was reported this morning that only 43% will celebrate Liberation Day this year. According to the study, this is driven by a growing sense of unease about the current state of freedom. Participants in the survey by the National Committee for 4 and 5 May point to increasing social polarization and global conflicts as factors that dampen the celebratory mood.

At the 2026 National Remembrance Day observance on Dam Square, tensions were evident, with 13 individuals taken into custody ahead of the two-minute silence after declining to relocate to assigned protest zones.

The decline in the number of eyewitnesses is reshaping how the Netherlands commemorates the war. The 2026 theme, “Understanding the past,” reflects this shift by focusing on how the Second World War continues to affect later generations. It highlights both personal stories and the broader historical context, including less-examined perspectives such as the “silent majority,” at a time when direct witnesses are disappearing.

Even though fewer people are inclined to celebrate, the number of workers granted paid leave on Liberation Day is rising. By 2026, roughly 1 in 3 employees will be off that day, up from 13% the year before, driven by a growing number of labor agreements designating it as an official holiday.