The Netherlands predicted to have 19 million inhabitants by 2037

The population of the Netherlands will continue to grow in the next decade but not as fast as it has before. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) expects the country to reach 18 million inhabitants next year. In 2037, this will rise to 19 million. The growth is mainly due to immigration from abroad and increased life expectancy.

The national statistics office made calculations based on its expectations for both the birth rate and the mortality rate. Also, the expected number of people who move to the Netherlands from abroad is contrasted against the total expected to leave the country. The number that remains determines the population growth.

Until 2027, the expectation is that deaths will outpace the number of babies born in the country. This means that the population will only grow due to immigration to the Netherlands. Then, between 2028 and 2039, there will likely be more births than deaths. Afterward, this will turn around again.

The group of pensioners will also grow in the coming years. Currently, one in five inhabitants is 65 or older; in 2040 this will be a quarter of the population. This is due to the birth waves after World War II, and during the 1960s. Dutch people are also living to an older age on average.

The country's population will also be more diverse by 2070, the last year for which the CBS calculated a projection. Currently, the Netherlands has around 2.9 million inhabitants born in different countries, which is 16 percent of the population. This number is expected to rise to 26 percent by 2070.

Currently, there are 15 million people who were born in the Netherlands residing in the country. Of the 15 million, around 2.1 have parents who were born elsewhere. This figure is expected to rise from 11 percent to around 20 percent in the coming years.